Baul festival ends in Chuadanga

A two-day Baul festival and Baul gathering ended at Jahapur village in alamdanga upazila of Chuadanga district on Saturday. 

The event was organised on the occasion of 26th death anniversary of Ekushe Padak laureate Baul singer and composer Khoda Box. 

Khoda Box Sain Smriti Sangasd organised the programme, which included a discussion and rendition of Baul songs.  

Chuadanga Deputy Commissioner Saima Yunus inaugurated the programme, while Khoda Box's only son Baul Abdul Latif Shah presided. 

A large number of Lalon devotees visited the two-day event. Local Baul singers Tania Biswas, Aman Ullah Shah, Gonjer Ali Shah, Sawapan Boiragi sang at the event. 

Khoda Box was born in 1928 and died in 1990. He began singing at the age of 10, and spent a large fraction of his lie at Lalon's shrine. He returned to his village at the last stage of life. Box was regular singer of Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television. He was one of the key players in introducing Baul songs to the mass. He also played a significant role to establish Lalon's shrine at Cheuria in Kushtia during the Pakistan rule. 

Box was also a Baul composer. He wrote around 900 songs. He was awarded Ekushey Padak for his outstanding contribution to Baul traditions.