Photo : BSS

RANGPUR, Sept 11, 2026 (BSS) - "Beacon Natyakendra" a cultural organisation, has staged the drama "Ranadanka" (War Drum), based on the historic peasant uprising in Rangpur during the oppressive British rule. 
 
On Thursday night, the play captivated hundreds of audience members of all ages and professions at the Rangpur District Shilpakala Academy auditorium in the city.
 
This initiative marked the first day of a two-day programme celebrating the 35th founding anniversary of Beacon Natyakendra. 
 
"Ranadanka" is based on the true events of the historic peasant uprising in Rangpur against the British East India Company's unjust tax policies and the oppressive tax farmer (ijaradar) Devi Singh. 
 
Nurul Din, the drama's protagonist, was the great leader of this historical peasant uprising in Rangpur region. 
 
The drama portrays how Nurul Din played a pivotal role in rousing ordinary farmers against ruthless British exploitation and the tyranny of landlords. 
 
Through the effective and aesthetic use of the regional dialect, the play vividly depicts the sorrows, hardships, and struggles of the people of Rangpur. 
 
Play "Ranadanka" was written and directed by senior journalist and cultural figure Ariful Haque Ruju. 
 
Fourteen artists, both new and veteran members of Beacon Natyakendra, participated in this approximately 50-minute production. 
 
Employing various acting techniques, they depicted the timeline stretching from the Battle of Plassey to March 3, 1971, the eve of Bangladesh's Liberation War. 
 
"Whenever the country faces injustice, political crises, or the oppression of its people, the fighting spirit of Nurul Din is remembered," said Bhupen Pal, who played the lead role in the drama. 
 
In his words, Nurul Din is not merely a historical figure; he is an eternal symbol of resistance against injustice and oppression, and a champion for the rights of the exploited across all eras. 
 
Playwright and director Ariful Haque Ruju stated, "We must keep our history alive for the new generation. Spanning the 200 years from the Battle of Plassey to the Liberation War, two events in Rangpur stand out as the first of their kind in the subcontinent."
 
"One is Nurul Din's struggle against the British East India Company, and the other is the self-sacrifice of Shanku Samajdar on March 3, 1971, during the Liberation War-an act inspired by the path of Nurul Din," he said.
 
A number of viewers after enjoying the drama noted that the play vividly portrays the self-sacrifice, struggles, and contributions of the people of Rangpur, spanning from the Battle of Plassey to the Liberation War and every subsequent movement. 
 
Local journalist Farhaduzzaman Faruk remarked that the keen interest shown by the "Beacon Natyakendra" in portraying the history of the Rangpur people's struggles through such extraordinary expressions of pain and anguish is truly unparalleled.