Celebrating hope and unity: A look inside the Brac Hope festival
The three-day event serves as the conclusion to a year-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of Brac
The Brac Hope Festival officially launched on Thursday with a vibrant display of colour, energy, and passion at the Bangladesh Army Stadium.
The three-day event serves as the conclusion to a year-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of Brac, one of the world's largest development organisations. The festival is taking place from 9-11 February.
The event is free for all upon online registration and includes cultural activities such as music, art, storytelling, crafts and many other attractions. The first day of the festival was dedicated to paying tribute to Bangladesh and showcased Brac's extensive development network, which includes social enterprises, investments, universities, and other initiatives both domestically and abroad. The stadium's grounds were decorated with exhibitions, stalls, pavilions, and workshops that showcased the various aspects of Brac's ecosystem.
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In his speech, Asif Saleh, the CEO of Brac, said that the festival represents hope for the good days, hope for the direction towards prosperity and hope for spreading confidence among marginal people.
"We not only equip needy people with assets, we help them grow mentally strong and develop confidence," he added.
Among many stalls showing Brac's success through the effects of its projects, the arrangements for children were most lively and crowded. For children, there were workshops and learn-with-fun zones. Children at the event also attended an architectural workshop hosted by the Brac University architecture department, while artist Masuda Khan (Masu Ake) guided kids in a "Draw a Friend" workshop.
The children also took part in the Play Lab, an innovative solution by Brac Institute of Educational Development (BIED) for early childhood development. Since children growing up in cities do not get enough space to play around, Play Lab focuses on arranging some indoor games that are scientifically proven to develop their cognitive abilities.
The main attraction of day one was the cultural program which took place in the evening with Fazlur Rahaman Babu's "Puthi Path" — a kind of performance where poetry and music coalesce; poetic fairy tales, epics and religious stories of different regions of the country are sung. It was quite an experience to see this live. The organisers arranged a kerosene lamp on the stage, which made it more realistic and took many to the days when it was a commonplace thing.
But like me, many saw Puthi Path live for the first time. The audience kept coming as the night went on and eventually, the stadium was packed by the time Arnob took over the stage.
Before his performance, Arnob shared his philosophy behind music, saying that inspiring figures like Tagore and Lalon all searched for a soul, a self in their music. And he is also on the quest for finding a soul and connecting with others.
"Growing up in Santiniketan, where everyone works and stays closer, helped me to connect with others," the singer said.
Arnob believes nature helps people to cope with all the stresses and hubbub around, but in a modern city, music is where he takes refuge. "Music, especially folk music, helps me fend off all the noise and stress of city life," he added. Arnob also announced the release of his new "Arnob and Friends 2" album for the next day.
Arnob then enchanted the cheering audience with folk songs and some of his most popular tracks for almost an hour. Before him, the band Lalon also hit the stage performing its hit songs, including "Pagol".
On the second day (10 February), the festival focused on showcasing the potential of people to transform their lives. And the last day will focus on outlining a vision for an equitable and prosperous future for all by sparking a discussion on the pathways to building a better world.
The festival will end on 11 February and there will be performances by Nagar Baul, Artcell, Nemesis, Masha Islam, Sithi Sarkar, Chandana Mazumder, and Nandita.
Brac has faith that the millions of success stories out there will encourage people to believe in themselves and find a way to rise above whatever challenge they face. The festival is a testament to Brac's commitment to igniting hope and inspiring individuals to overcome difficulties and reach their full potential.
