Chhayanaut


The Chhayanaut is an institution devoted to Bengali culture, founded in Bangladesh in 1961. As in the case of many similar organizations, it was established during Pakistani rule in Bangladesh to promote and nurture the cultural and musical heritage of Bengal. Every year, Chhayanaut arranges activities in order to celebrate the Pahela Boishakh, the first day of the Bengali new year.
Chhayanaut hosts numerous cultural events throughout the year. These include the Nababarsha or 'Bengali New Year' celebration held beneath the Banyan Tree at Ramna, commemorations of various national holidays, festivals dedicated to Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam including their birth and death anniversaries, as well as seasonal programs. Additionally, they organize folklore and folk music festivals, theatre festivals, dance ceremonies, and speeches by esteemed experts. Among their regular activities, Chhayanaut operates a music center and a cultural and general education school called "Nalanda." They also conduct a program called "Shikhad" to introduce children to Bengali culture. They have initiatives to provide activities for autistic babies as well as the elderly. Furthermore, they publish a Bengali quarterly magazine titled "Bangladesher Hridoy Hote" that focuses on literature and culture.
In 1964, on the occasion of Bengali new year 1371, Chhayanaut began celebrating Bengali New Year under the banyan tree at Ramna Park. Over time, this celebration grew into a major national cultural event. Chhayanaut also organizes programs to commemorate the birth and death anniversaries of Rabindranath Tagore, as well as seasonal festivals like Autumn and Spring Festival.
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History

Pakistan Period

In the 1960s, the military regime of Pakistan banned the performance and broadcast of Rabindra Sangeet in then-East Pakistan. In defiance of the ban, legendary Rabindra Sangeet singer Kalim Sharafi, along with others, helped establish Chhayanaut, an organization dedicated to music, drama, and dance. Despite the prohibition, branches of Chhayanaut spread discreetly across district towns like an underground network. After the centenary celebration of Rabindranath Tagore in 1961, a group of cultural activists, among them Mokhlesur Rahman, Shamsunnahar Rahman, Sufia Kamal, and Wahidul Haq, took the initiative to form a progressive cultural organization. The name "Chhayanaut" was proposed by Saeedul Hasan.
In 1961, the first executive committee of Chhayanaut was formed with Sufia Kamal as President and Farida Hasan as General Secretary. Zahur Hossain Chowdhury and Saeedul Hasan served as Vice Presidents, while Saifuddin Ahmed Manik and Mizanur Rahman Chhana were Joint Secretaries. Mokhlesur Rahman was the Treasurer. Other members included Kamal Lohani, Waheedul Haq, Sanjida Khatun, and Ahmedur Rahman, among others.
Chhayanaut held its first program at the Engineers Institute auditorium, which featured a collection of old Bengali songs. In 1963, under the initiative of Sanjida Khatun, music classes were started on the verandah of the Bangla Academy. Sanjida Khatun and Farida Malik taught Rabindra Sangeet, Bazlul Karim taught tabla, Mati Mia taught violin and sitar, and Sohrab Hossain taught Nazrul Geeti. That same year, the Chhayanaut Music School was officially established and inaugurated by Ustad Ayet Ali Khan on the first day of the Bengali year 1370.
Chhayanaut’s early activities began at the English Preparatory School. Due to government pressure, the organization had to relocate its operations to Agrani School and College, and later to Lake Circus Girls’ School out of fear of further obstruction. Chhayanaut remained there until 1971.

During the Bangladesh Liberation War

When the Liberation War began in 1971, many key figures of Chhayanaut, including Wahidul Haque and Sanjida Khatun, were forced to take refuge abroad. In Kolkata, they, along with other like-minded artists, formed the Mukti Sangrami Shilpi Sangstha. Many prominent artists outside of Chhayanaut also joined this collective. The group performed regularly in refugee camps and freedom fighters' bases, using music and art to inspire and uplift the spirit of resistance. As part of this effort, the group staged a musical play titled Rupantorer Gaan, written by Shahriar Kabir. The script underwent several changes over time. They performed at Rabindra Sadan in Kolkata, where legendary artists such as Hemanta Mukhopadhyay, Debabrata Biswas, Kanika Bandopadhyay, and Suchitra Mitra joined and sang in solidarity. The group raised funds through these performances, and each of them would contribute the money they earned individually to a collective fund dedicated to supporting the liberation movement. This historic cultural movement later became the subject of filmmaker Tareque Masud’s documentary Muktir Gaan.

Independent Bangladesh (1971 - Present)

From 1971-2000

After Bangladesh’s independence, Chhayanaut was allowed to operate on the premises of the University Laboratory School and College at the University of Dhaka for nearly three decades. This arrangement was made possible by Dr. Nurun Nahar Faizunnnesa, then principal of the school, with formal approval from Professor Mozzafar Ahmad Chowdhury, the Vice Chancellor at the time.
Eventually, Chhayanaut received a permanent home in Dhanmondi. In 1999, the Government of Bangladesh allotted one bigha of land in recognition of the institution’s significant contributions to Bengali cultural development over four decades. The Chhayanaut Sanskriti Bhaban was built on this land, designed by architect Bashirul Haq. The building complex includes thirty classrooms, a 300-seat modern auditorium, the Romesh Chunder Dutt Memorial Auditorium, a music and cultural library, the Poet Shamsur Rahman Library, and Sanskriti Samvar—an audiovisual center and recording studio.

Ramna Batamul bombings

On 14 April 2001, during Chhayanaut’s Pohela Boishakh programme at Ramna Batamul, a terrorist attack took place. As the song “E ki Oporup Rupe Ma Tomay Herinu Polli Jononi” played, two bombs exploded at the venue, which was being broadcast live on Bangladesh Television (BTV). Seven people died on the spot, and three more later succumbed to their injuries, with nearly 50 others injured. The cultural event was immediately disrupted. The Islamic fundamentalist group Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (HuJI) was behind the attack. Among the dead was one HuJI militant. Police filed two cases related to murder and explosives. In 2009, charges were brought against 14 HuJI members. In 2014, eight were sentenced to death and six to life imprisonment. However, in 2025, the High Court commuted the death sentences of seven surviving convicts, reducing one to life imprisonment and the rest to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment. Some life sentences were also reduced, and two of the convicts who died while awaiting appeal were acquitted. The state has since announced plans to challenge the reduced sentences. Mufti Abdul Hannan, HuJI’s top leader, had already been executed in 2017 in a separate case.
After the attack, host Hasan Imam condemned the incident live on air. Chhayanaut later released a statement affirming: this act of terrorism would not deter Bengalis from celebrating Pohela Boishakh.

Post 2001

In 2020 and 2021, Chhayanaut cancelled its annual Pohela Boishakh celebrations at Ramna Batamul due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the organization focused on supporting the poor and vulnerable during the crisis.
On the night of 18 December 2025, a mob carried out vandalism and arson at the Chhayanaut building in Dhanmondi. The seven-storey building was ransacked floor by floor, with extensive damage inflicted on every room. Musical instruments, artworks, and important documents kept in the rooms were destroyed.

Recognition

In 2015, in recognition of cultural harmony, Chhayanaut received the Rabindranath Tagore International Award, instituted by the Government of India. On the morning of Monday, February 18, 2019, at a ceremony held at the Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra in New Delhi, the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, presented the award to Chhayanaut’s president, Sanjida Khatun.
In 2019, Chhayanaut received the Shilpakala Padak as a creative cultural organisation for its outstanding contribution to Bangladesh's cultural landscape. The award was accepted by Laisa Ahmed Lisa, the organization’s general secretary, at a ceremony held at the National Theatre Hall in Dhaka.

Notable alumni and faculty