Strings, stories and smiles: Puppet shows delight children at Ekushey Book Fair

Puppet performances are captivating young visitors at the Ekushey Book Fair, reviving interest in a traditional form of storytelling

Perched on her father’s shoulders, little Maisha watches a puppet dance on the small stage while her mother captures the moment on a mobile phone.

Scenes like this were common at the Amar Ekushey Book Fair on Friday morning, where children gathered in large numbers at the Kaktarua Puppet Theatre area.

Some arrived hand in hand with their parents, while others wandered between stalls, pausing to flip through brightly illustrated children's books.

On weekends, the puppet shows have emerged as one of the fair’s most lively attractions.

Hundreds of children and teenagers have been crowding around the stage to watch the performances organised this year by Kaktarua Puppet Theatre.

Although the book fair does not have a dedicated children’s corner this year, publishers of children’s books have clustered their stalls in one section of the fairgrounds, drawing families and young readers.

Among the visitors there on Friday was Rashid Harun, a teacher in the Department of Drama and Dramatics at Jahangirnagar University who has spent years researching puppetry.

Once a familiar feature of village fairs across Bangladesh, puppet shows had largely faded from rural life. Yet their enduring appeal is still evident, Harun says.

“No form of art can survive without talent, education and creativity, without new ideas emerging from within,” he told bdnews24.com. “That is why many of our traditional puppeteers have gradually disappeared.”

According to him, many rural performers continued presenting the same stories without adapting them for newer audiences.

But the interest in puppetry itself has not faded.

“The appeal of puppetry still exists -- that’s clear from what we see at the book fair,” Harun said.

“People of all ages are enjoying the shows with great enthusiasm.”

He believes a younger generation is now experimenting with new ideas and stories.

Groups like Kaktarua Puppet Theatre, he said, are introducing puppetry to schools, holding workshops and inspiring young performers to consider it as a profession.

“They have created quite a buzz at this year’s book fair,” Harun said.

With fresh ideas and creative storytelling, he believes puppetry could once again become a popular form of entertainment.

“If we can bring new stories and creativity into puppetry, it can again become one of the most important forms of entertainment for people.”