Acrobatics is not a very popular art form in Bangladesh, but for a few people it is the source for bread and butter. Acrobat Aklima Akthar is one of such few artistes for whom displaying acrobatic shows is not just mere presentation of 'circus' for entertainment, but the only source of income.
For the last two years, Aklima from Rajbari district has been working for one of the leading circus troupes of the country named the Rowshan Circus which is based in Nilphamari district.
Recently, she performed at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy along with her troupe members.
Aklima told New Age that she took training on acrobatics at her early age from the National Acrobatic Training Centre, Rajbari.
Subsequently, the teenaged Aklima was the one among the 37 who got a one year-long acrobatic training in 1994 organised by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy at the Dhanmondi Krira Complex.
'Led by Korean acrobat Han Hyong Wan, two trainers— Kim Young Ung and Tuk Nam provided the training,' she said.
She learnt a few games such as Hand Skill and Mouth Skill from the Korean trainers.
Of the nine participating girls of the programme, only two girls Aklima and Rina Akhtar Putul continued acrobatic display. Rest of the others left acrobatics.
'The then cultural ministry promised us to provide job as trainer at the centre but nothing happened in this regard. Furthermore, the centre has been kept closed since 2006 and it turned into a camp of Rapid Action Battalion,' said Aklima.
'When the government did not keep the pledge, it became difficult for us to continue with acrobatics,' she added.
For the bread and butter both Aklima Akhtar and and Rina Akhtar joined Rowshan Circus. The troupe visits around ten to twenty places round the year across the country, except in the month of Ramadan and rainy season. They put their camp for about a month at a place.
Huge numbers of audience enjoy circus shows, but the people who entertain them never lead a happy life.
'There is no appointment letter from the troupe. We are just exploited and oppressed,' said Aklima.
Even the acrobatic artistes are never provided quality attires, equipment and other required materials for their shows. 'We still depend on traditional apparatus which lack safety measures. So sometimes, we are victims of accident,' she said.
Source: New Age
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