Music lovers from Munshiganj have a good reason to plan a trip to the capital this month. Artist Club Limited will mark its first anniversary with a 10-day cultural festival from 11 to 21 November, combining folk music, visual arts and opera, organisers announced at a press conference at Hotel InterContinental Dhaka on 26 October.
From 11 to 20 November, the festival will feature Baul, Bhatiali, Bhawaiya and Gambhira traditions, along with songs associated with Lalon Shah and Hason Raja. Music from the Manipuri, Chakma, Marma, Santal and Hajong communities will also be part of the programme.
The closing night on 21 November, at the Grand Ballroom of Hotel InterContinental Dhaka, will present what the organisers describe as the country's first French-Bangla opera fusion, featuring French opera singer Véronique Pain and pianist Fabrice Maitre. A visual arts strand, the Art Trilliard Award: Young Painters of Tomorrow, is a nationwide competition for artists aged 20 to 35.
Artist Club was founded three years ago as a platform for young artists and was formally registered in 2025. It has hosted more than 200 editions of its regular Friday Musical Evening. Its president, Sujit Mostafa, told the press conference that the initiative was unusual for the country's cultural scene and could support intellectual development by exposing audiences to different artistic traditions. Frédéric Inza, deputy head of mission at the French Embassy in Dhaka, said: 'If we receive a positive response to this festival, we will organise more events like this in the future.'
For audiences from Bikrampur, the Bhatiali strand has a special resonance. These are the songs of boatmen on wide rivers, and they belong naturally to a district shaped by the Padma, Meghna and Dhaleshwari. With the Dhaka-Mawa Expressway putting the capital within easy reach, the festival is an accessible outing for young musicians, music students and families from Munshiganj who want to hear living folk traditions alongside a rare operatic collaboration.
Those planning to attend can follow Artist Club's announcements for the daily programme and entry details as the opening date approaches.
Photo: AlAminContributor, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
