Nowadays the rural Bangladesh has lost many of its glorious events and traditions as our lives move away from our rural agrarian roots. Development in information and technology is another key reason behind extinct of many rural events and traditions.
Bioscope is one of lost events. The sight of looking at a picture in a wooden box to the tune of song was going to extinct from village life.
However, the almost lost event is returning in the rural Bangladesh. The display of the lost bioscope is now being witnessed in many rural areas of the country. Like some other areas, the bioscope display is now seen at the month-long folk craft fair and folk festival at Sonargaon in Narayanganj. The fair began on March 1.
Jalil Mandal has come to Sonargaon from Rajshahi in the hope of earning money by showing his bioscope at the month-long fair and festival. Many visitors of the fair, particularly and children, are enjoying the display of the lost bioscope. However, the return of bioscope are evoking nostalgia to many young and old-age people.
Jalil Mandal takes only Tk 20 to see his bioscope. Not only in Narayangaj, he is currently exhibiting the bioscope at various fairs. He said that the bioscope display is also returning to many other village fairs in the country.
Describing his long experience in the profession, Jalil Mandal said that there was a time when he and his father had earned a lot of money by showing Bioscope in the market place on the way to the village. The bioscope display mainly shows various love stories, wars, world sights, religious issues and other issues. Six visitors can see the Bioscope together, he added.
According to Jalil Mandal, with the advent of televisions and mobile phones, the viewers are now not interested in bioscope.
Some visitors of the month-long fair and festival of Narayanganj and many other people said that they are happy over return of lost heritage of rural Bangladesh.
A visitor of the fair said that the picture changes inside the box to the beat of drums and songs is really enjoyable. And seeing that, old and young people are lost in nostalgia. “I grew up in town. The bioscope was not only a tradition of rural areas. I enjoyed the bioscope display during my childhood in the town and also in rural areas as I had contact with the rural society,” he said.
A member of the month-long fair and festival organising committee of Narayanganj said, “We love and respect towards our culture and heritage. Our one of the goals is to introduce our lost Bengali cultural heritage and tradition through the fair. The display of Bioscope in the fair will play a role to fulfil our goals.”
Many people said that there is nothing to introduce Bengalis with Bioscope. Especially the people who grew up in rural Bengal. But for those who are accustomed to living in captivity within the four walls in town or who were born some years ago, they may not be known to the Bioscope. In fact, Bioscope was like cinema hall in rural Bangladesh.