Nationwide Lalon festival begins today

The 135th death anniversary of spiritual icon Lalon Shah is being commemorated nationwide today (October 17), with the inauguration of the Lalon Festival and Fair across all 64 districts for the first time.

Organised by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, in association with the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy and Kushtia District Administration, the three-day main event will run in Kushtia from October 17–19, while Dhaka’s event will take place on October 18.

The inaugural ceremony at Lalon Akhra in Cheuriya, Kumarkhali, Kushtia, will be attended by Cultural Affairs Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki as chief guest, with Cultural Secretary Md. Mofidul Rahman delivering the welcome address.

Renowned scholar Prof. Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak will deliver the keynote Lalon lecture, joined by poet Farhad Mazhar and Prof. A. A. Mamun of Rajshahi University.

The event will be chaired by Kushtia Deputy Commissioner Abu H. M. Arefin.

Following the inauguration, the Akhra will resonate with Lalon songs performed by Tun Tun Baul, Sunil Karmakar, Rowshan Fakir, Latif Shah, and others from across the country.

Similar performances will continue nationwide through October 19, including a grand Lalon concert at Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka featuring leading artists and bands.