Sisimpur: A television program to remember

With its innovative approach, Sisimpur has become a program that Gen Z and millennial children aspire to visit, even if only once. The theme song, 'Cholche gari Sisimpure', has become a familiar tune, symbolizing the start of Sisimpur, Bangladesh's first educational program that began its journey in 2005. Despite its production starting in 2003, the show premiered in April 2005.

Sisimpur is the co-production of the American children's television show "The Sesame Street" in Bangladesh. Being Bangladesh's first children's educational program, 4 million kids were projected to watch it in its first two years. 

USAID, the United States Agency for International Development, pledged to support this show with seven million USD, and as of 2022, it was still being funded.

Regional production designers created the set for the show, and it featured a banyan tree, tea and candy stores, and a rural street. Original music, animated scenes, and live-action were created locally to showcase the rich artistic legacy of Bangladeshi culture. 

Sisimpur was created with the purpose of providing essential early education over television, in classrooms, and through community outreach.

This show's central idea is that a collection of strange puppets work with their human buddies to teach kids mathematics, dance, art, music, cultural tradition and diversity. 

In addition to teaching lessons on health and cleanliness, education of women, disaster preparedness and precautions, financial empowerment, and the prevention of childhood injuries and accidents, it places a strong emphasis on math and science, reading and language, and mutual respect and understanding, including socio-emotional abilities. American Sesame Workshop and Bangladeshi Nayantara Communications collaborated in its production.

Values like empathy, self-respect, and cooperation are the primary focus of this series. In the fourteenth season of the show, they concentrated on the concept of empathy. In contrast, the fifteenth season debuted a new puppet named Julia and featured pieces in sign language, as well as the show's first mention of autism.

Sisimpur's societal impact is a source of pride, as it was named the greatest children's program and the third most popular show overall in a 2010 survey by BBC World Service Trust. The show's recognition continued with two notable awards: the coveted Anthem Award in 2024 and the recognized Kidscreen Award in 2022 for Best Mixed Media Series. In 2024, Sisimpur also won an International Telly Award for its contributions to society, including the introduction of sign language and the creation of a new character named Julia.

Halum, a Bengal tiger; Julia, a four-year-old autistic girl; Shiku, a little and interested jackal; Tuktuki, a five-year-old kid; and a pair of sheep named Manik-Ratan are some of the intriguing characters in this episode. 

The show's human characters are Lalmia, a postman, a university graduate who owns a nursery (Mukul Moira), a local school teacher named Sumona Moira, the proprietor of a candy shop named Guni Moira together with his wife Asha Moira, a librarian, and their son Polash Moira. Additionally, there is a postman named Bahadur and a nanu who tells stories to Ikri Mikri.

Research has shown that children who watched Sisimpur gained stronger vocabulary, counting abilities, cognitive skills, life skills, and cultural understanding compared to those who didn't watch the show. A 2005 study revealed these benefits, and a 2009 research found that educators who watched the program placed a strong emphasis on the value of teaching kids through play. 

Parents who watched the show also gained insight into effective parenting techniques and saw kids as individuals deserving of respect and care. Additionally, parents reported that kids learn more from the show than from their parents.
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