The crowd watched in amazement as Madhumala, an elephant belonging to the visiting circus party, swam across the carrying a huge load of banana trees with its trunk.

The mahut (caretaker) sat on her back slowly tapping her shoulder with a shiny stick to steer towards the bank. As soon as she touched the bank, the crowd clapped in further amazement. Madhumala was carrying a load of over 20 full-grown banana plants. Soon the mahut most skilfully guided the animal towards its pen nearby where her mate Mohonmala stood patiently.

Every single day since May 9 people of Patuakhali and adjacent villages have been watching Madhumala and Mohonmala shuttle across the Lohalia in quest of food. The animals are valuable members of the Royal Bengal Lakkhan Das Circus, one the oldest circus teams in the country founded in 1947 and currently running daily shows at Patuakhali PDSA playground. For thousands of rural men, women and children, it brings a treat of joy and amusement.

For the performers who everyday try to entertain audiences in this southern district, life is not that easy. Since this circus was founded, hundreds of other circus teams became extinct in the country. Members of the Royal Bengal Lakkhan Das Circus are now losing hope for a stable future. They are afraid they might have to give up what they learnt from their ancestors. There has never been an effort by the government or the civil society to save the culture of circus, the performers lamented.

The founder of the circus Lakkhan Das of Charchi village under Gournadi upazila in Barisal district was not so lucky either. Freedom fighter Lakkhan was brutally killed by the Pakistani occupational forces during the liberation war in 1971.

His circus party suffered a severe blow when the brutal forces also killed his elephant, tiger and bear. With his death and the deaths of his animal companions, Lakkhan's circus was shut down in 1971 for a year.

After the war Lakkhan's two sons Arun Das and Beran Das started reorganising the party. Today the Royal Bengal Lakkhan Das circus employs 110 athletes, acrobats and stuntmen, women, children, assistants and officials. Royal Bengal's animal pens now boast of two elephants, two bears, two goats, two donkeys and a dog. Each animal is trained to perform a specific show.

Madhumala can play football and Mohonmala can seat on a tiny bench. The two goats entertain the audiences doing a delicate walk on a thin steel plate. Bears toss and revolve a 10 feet long steel pipe.

The breathtaking motorbike rides in a vertical cage greatly entertains the people. The list of events goes further with the ring dance of a young girl, horse's jump through a fire ring and the clown eating a live scorpion.

Every member of the circus party has a fixed monthly salary. So far, Royal Bengal Lakkhan Das circus has been able to ensure a minimum salary ranging from Tk 1,200 Tk 6,000 for each of its member. The company also ensures a steady diet twice a day for its members.

"We try to supply balanced diet for every athlete and stuntman and woman to protect their health and strength,' Beran Das, director of the party said.

Beran said that only five out of 14 circus parties in the country are now operating. The Royal Bengal Lakkhan Das Circus of Gournadi, Lion Circus and Lax Narayan Circus in Dhaka, New Star Circus in Comilla and Rawshan Circus in Rangpur are still trying to survive amid all odds. Many big names in the sector have vanished over the years, Baren said.

Satyendra Nath Mondal, manager of the party said this year they were lucky enough to hold three month-long shows in Narail, Banaripara and Barisal.

The circus parties in the country suffered a fresh blow when the government banned shows following the countrywide bomb blasts. "Over the last four years we suffered badly because of bombings," said Mondal.

Hard work of the members of the Royal Bengal Lakkhan Das circus was paid off in 1980 when it won a national prize for best performance. Late President Ziaur Rahman handed over the prize.

In order to improve performance there should be exchanges between the local and foreign circus parties, said Das. "If we are given a little incentive, we could earn prestige for the country abroad," he added.