Puppet show and play ‘Bonnotherium’ to mark Mustafa Monwar’s 90th birthday

In the history of Bangladesh's cultural sphere, few figures shine as brightly as Mustafa Monwar. Painter, puppeteer, television producer, art educator—his artistry has touched nearly every medium, but it is his devotion to children that has left the deepest mark. Generations have grown up enchanted by his puppetry, his vision of an art that is joyous, fearless, and nourishing for young minds.

On September 1, as Monwar turns 90, his legacy will be celebrated with a day-long programme for children at the Bangladesh Mohila Samity's Nilima Ibrahim Auditorium. The event, aptly titled "Mustafa Monwar Jayanti", is being jointly organised by Hatekhorii in Acting, Actors Studio, and BotTala—three groups that, like Monwar himself, believe art should begin with play, wonder, and imagination.

The festivities begin Monday at 9am with an "Aankibooki" doodling workshop, where children will be invited to scribble, sketch, and let their imaginations run free. That sense of uninhibited creativity has long been central to Monwar's philosophy. "Children should grow up surrounded by colour, music, and imagination," he has often said, "because joy is the foundation of learning."

At 10am, the stage will come alive with a puppet show, performed by Inventors and Together We Can. It is a fitting homage to the man who pioneered puppetry on Bangladeshi television, turning handmade figures and wooden frames into powerful tools for both entertainment and education. For many, Monwar's puppets were more than childhood companions—they were symbols of resilience, created during times when art and truth needed subtle forms of expression.

Beyond the puppets, literature will also be a part of the arrangement in the courtyard, with Ikrimikri bringing a collection of children's books. The open-air stall will underscore Monwar's belief that art and reading should never be separated from play.

The highlight of the morning, however, will be the staging of "Bonnotherium" at 11am. Adapted and directed by Evan Riaz, the play is based on Sukumar Ray's "Heshoram Hushiyarer Diary", a text brimming with absurdity, humour, and satire. True to Ray's spirit, the story takes familiar themes of greed and human folly and exaggerates them into the fantastical.

The plot follows Wild Vision, a fictional wildlife organisation that discovers a strange new creature: the "flat-nosed cow." Under the command of its president, Haru, the organisation captures the animal, instantly earning fame and attention. The discovery soon draws the interest of Miss Hukki, a ruthless wildlife trader, who demands more specimens. What begins as a scientific triumph quickly spirals into a scramble for profit.

Then comes Chandrakhai, the nephew of the eccentric Professor Heshoram Hushiyar. With tales of the professor's bizarre expeditions, he fires Haru and Miss Hukki's imaginations further. The pair dream of endless business opportunities, ignoring the costs to oxygen, food chains, and future generations. Chandrakhai, meanwhile, advances his own hidden agenda under the guise of storytelling.

At once playful and biting, "Bonnotherium" is a fable about how unchecked greed threatens to turn nature itself into merchandise. Its resonance in today's world, where climate change and ecological destruction are urgent realities, makes it particularly poignant. For children, the outlandish characters and witty absurdities offer laughter and wonder. For adults, the satire cuts closer to the bone.

That, too, is part of Mustafa Monwar's enduring lesson: art must be layered, capable of speaking to all ages at once. His own works of puppetry, painting, and children's television were never simplistic; they carried, beneath the charm, a moral imagination that asked audiences to dream of a kinder, more thoughtful world.

Celebrating his 90th birthday through children's workshops, puppetry, and theatre feels more than ceremonial—it is an affirmation of the values he spent a lifetime building. Mustafa Monwar belongs to the rare generation of cultural pioneers who did not separate art from life, or life from education. For him, imagination was never frivolous; it was essential.