Bulbul Lalitakala Academy

Bulbul Lalitakala Academy an institution of fine arts established in Dhaka on 17 May, 1955 commemorating bulbul chowdhury and his role in popularising dance among conservative Bengali Muslims. It is also known as BAFA (Bulbul Academy for Fine Arts).

The academy offers instruction in, and conducts research on, song, music, dance, drama, painting and sculpture. It is primarily an academic institution. It has produced singers, musicians and dancers.

Under the patronage of the government, it has sent cultural delegations to Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Soviet Russia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, China, Nepal, Bolivia and Oman. The academy also plays a pivotal role in the cultural field through its regular observances of shaheed dibash and independence day and celebrations of pahela baishakh and the spring festival as well as the birth anniversaries of rabindranath tagore, kazi nazrul islam, Bulbul Chowdhury, abbasuddin ahmed, and zainul abedin . Among the dance-dramas presented by the academy at different times have been Rabindranath Tagore's Chandalika, Prakritir Leela, Mayar Khela, Chitrangada, Shyama; jasimuddin's Naksi Kanthar Math; Kazi Nazrul Islam's Sindhu; Enamul Huq's Hajar Tarer Vina and Rajpath Janapath; Rafiqul Islam's Badal Barisane.

One of the major contributions of the academy was to liberalise attitudes towards music and dance. The stigma attached to dance and dancers in Muslim society was greatly reduced and dance made acceptability. Thus it has created an environment conducive to the cultivation and development of cultural activities in the country. [Mohammad Abdul Hye]