Novel: KHAWABNAMA
Author: Akhtaruzzaman Elias
Dramatization: Md. Shawkat Hossain Sajib
Direction: Kazi Toufikul Islam Emon

Stage: Proscenium

Premier Show
3 December, 2019, Tuesday

Main Hall, National Theater, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Segunbagicha, Dhaka at ‘Natun-er Utshab’ Theatre Festival organized by Nagorik Natya Sampradaya

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Synopsis

Long ago , some people cleared the dense forest along the marsh Katlahar and started farming there. Myth goes as this that they would put yokes on the tigers’ back to cultivate the land. In one such afternoon, Munsi Barkatullah Shah was killed by the East India Company soldier Lord Taylor on his way to Mahasthangarh with his companion followers of Saint Majnu Shah. People of Girirdanga and Nijgirirdanga along the marshy land of the Katlahar still believe that Munsi resided on a banyan fig (pakur) tree and started to rule over the fen after his demise. The landscape along the river Jamuna changed as an impact of an earthquake at a distant epicenter. The banks of the marshland were grasped in flood bringing ample amounts of fish in the water. This turned farmers changing their profession into fishermen. As if, it was a carishma of none other than the Munsi himself!

Over the passage of time, the landlords of the locality took the ownership of the lake. Some people become prominent with their own characteristics. Like, Cherag Ali, a local hermit, becomes famous for explaining people’s dreams on the basis of Munshi’s verses. Tamij’s father shows examples of similar spiritualism in him and he believes he can see Munshi when he sleepwalks towards the banyan fig tree at night. Baikuntha Giri, claiming himself to be a descendant of Bhabani Pathak, believes in a prophecy that Bhabani will reincarnate. Tamij dreams of ownership of a cultivable land of his own. Kulsum, the granddaughter of Cherag Ali, sees something in her dream but she can never explain what it might be. Keramat, the poet who only writes about the Tebhaga Movement, resides in his own little world ; he wants fame, he wants a wife and a family.

At one point, the British colonialism comes to an end in this locality but the new government system of the newly built country seems no less than a new colony either. Which was once a large territory under the name ‘Bengal’ gets separated within two nations after the partition. The new ‘lords’ make new rules which turn some into town-dwellers, and some into contractors. Many people lose their home and suddenly become foreigners within the land they were born in! The Hindu Landlord leaves, yet people do not get back their ownership of the lands and lake in the ‘Free Pakistan’ as they had been anticipating before the partition! The banyan fig tree gets felled for the construction of a brick-boiler. Tamij’s father dies drowning in the quicksand while seeking for the tree and Munsi desperately. Bhabani Pathak never reincarnates. Baikuntha gets killed in a Hindu-Muslim riot. The fishermen cannot catch fish for free in the lake anymore. Clashes began between the fishermen of Katlahar and Jamuna where Tamij accidentally kills someone in a fight.Tamij escapes and hides in a well-worthy person’s house as his servant to avoid police, but he hears of the fights for land that is still going on. Tamij comes out of his safe haven and goes out to the movement. Fuljan, with her daughter Sakhina born legitimately of Tamij, does not know what to do! But, sakhina shows signs of inheritance of spiritualism like her grandfather.

The book that explained dreams had been lost from Tamij’s father’s ownership. Now, sakhina has a legacy. ‘Khowabnama’, the book of dreams, explains dreams of men. But, the thing that is important in the explanation is not the dream, but the dreamer himself.

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