The agony of refugee life revisited through ‘Jessore Road’

The anguish of refugees, the devastating impact of war and the humanitarian crisis experienced during Bangladesh’s Liberation War were brought to life through the musical narrative “Jessore Road” on Friday. 
The Narsingdi theatre troupe Bandhanhara performed the musical narrative based on Allen Ginsberg’s “September on Jessore Road” at the Chhayanaut auditorium in the capital’s Dhanmondi area in the evening.  
 The event was organised by 27 Dhanmondi Gai Banglar Gaan Parishad, highlighting one of the most painful chapters of the Liberation War--the suffering of people who were forced to leave their homeland and cross the border as refugees.
The programme began with introductory remarks and an exchange of greetings. Fazlul Kabir Tuhin of 27 Dhanmondi Gai Banglar Gaan Parishad delivered the welcome address, reflecting on the international context of the Liberation War and the support extended to Bangladesh by sections of the American people.
The event also featured firsthand accounts and recollections of refugee life during the Liberation War. Freedom fighters Rezzakul Haider Chowdhury and Satyajit Majumdar shared their memories and experiences of refugee camps. Liberation War Museum trustee and freedom fighter Dr Sarwar Ali and former DUCSU general secretary and freedom fighter Mahbub Zaman also spoke at the programme.
One of the significant segments of the evening was a recitation of Ginsberg’s “September on Jessore Road” in English by noted recitation artiste Belayet Hossain. Recitation artiste Rejina Wali Lina then presented its Bengali translation. 
Patriotic songs added another emotional dimension to the programme. Musician Abida Sultana Setu performed “O Amar Desher Mati”, while an invited artiste performed “Dhana Dhanya Pushpa Bhara”. Through poetry, personal memories and music, the programme sought to portray the human reality of the Liberation War to the audience. 
Then, the evening’s main attraction, the 35-minute musical narrative “Jessore Road”, was staged. Directed by Kamruzzaman Tapu, the production was performed by Bandhanhara theatre troupe.
Ginsberg’s “September on Jessore Road” remains a powerful literary testimony to the suffering of Bangladeshi refugees during the Liberation War. By transforming the poem into a stage-based musical narrative, the production sought not only to commemorate the history of 1971 but also to revisit the pain and experiences of ordinary people caught in the humanitarian catastrophe.
The approximately 90-minute programme combined discussion, personal recollections, poetry recitation, patriotic songs and theatre. According to the organisers, the event aimed to present the history of the Liberation War to a new generation through poetry, music and theatre, rather than confining remembrance to formal observances.