Sharp decline in events halves Bogura's musical instrument mkt

The musical instrument market in Bogura has shrunk by half over the past year, mainly due to a significant drop in small-scale cultural events and stage performances.

While there are no official figures on the district's instrument market, industry insiders estimate its value at around Tk 400-500 million, combining both local production and imported goods.

Known as the cultural hub of northern Bangladesh, Bogura once bustled with musical activity. But today, the scene is starkly different. Shops display guitars, keyboards, tablas, and harmoniums, yet footfall remains low. Sellers of traditional instruments like dhak, dhol, conch shells, bells, and kartal-which previously saw brisk sales ahead of festivals-now face long stretches without a single transaction.

The only dedicated musical instrument hub in Bogura lies on Sariakandi Road in the Chholo Para area, where 12 shops-some over a century old-stand together. Outside the town, a handful of additional stores operate in Sherpur, Kahalu, and Shibganj upazilas. Traders unanimously agree: the market has stagnated as regular customers have stopped coming.

"Sales largely depend on concerts, cultural events, and stage shows, which have dwindled sharply," said Dilip Kumar Das, owner of SR Das & Sons, one of the oldest and largest outlets in Chholo Para.

According to Mr. Das, local traders import at least 20 varieties of instruments, including guitars, pianos, ukuleles, harmoniums, and drum sets. Traditional instruments such as tablas and dhols are also informally brought in from India.

"The market is in terrible shape. Concerts and the music scene have been practically paralysed over the past few years," he added. "Sales have fallen by more than 50 per cent. Where we used to sell Tk 4-6 million a month, now it's hard to reach even Tk 1.0 million. With both small and large shows halted, everyone is suffering-not just me."

Sujan Kumar Das, a wholesale trader and owner of Suroshree, painted an even bleaker picture. "Business is almost nonexistent. We're just surviving somehow. Things had been worsening since the Covid pandemic, but now it's even harder," he said.

"I shut down one of my stores, 'Bogura Music,' this year. Three others have also closed. Earlier, we struggled to manage the crowd. Now, we open shop day after day without a single sale."

Nikhil Chandra, proprietor of the century-old Sangeet Sur Bitan, echoed similar concerns.

"Sometimes, there hasn't been a single sale all day-and this has become routine. We used to sell several harmoniums, tablas, dugis, Bangla dhols, and drum sets daily, often fulfilling bulk orders. But those customers have disappeared," he said.

"Only instruments tied to Hindu religious festivals see some sales now, but that's too limited to make any real impact."

Discussions with several shop owners revealed a shared sentiment: the main reason behind the slump is the drastic fall in concerts, stage shows, and other cultural events. These activities once served as the lifeblood of the instrument market. Without them, not only have sales dropped, but the entire business ecosystem-from artisans to retailers-has been thrown into disarray. Some shop owners have already fallen into debt.

A visit to local cultural organisations reflected this downturn. Once bustling with activity-especially on weekends and during the cultural season-these venues are now eerily quiet, with occasional hobbyists making minor purchases.

Shaheed Titu Auditorium, the largest in Bogura town, hosted only two large events and 20 small ones over the past year-less than half of the previous year's tally, according to supervisor Golam Azam Golap.

The Bogura Youth Choir, a group that rose to fame in the 1980s with its regional songs, is now in its 48th year. Its founder and president, Taufiqul Alam Tipu, said, "Concerts and stage shows are almost nonexistent now. This affects not only the artists but also instrument sellers, sound system operators, lighting crews, and stage decorators-the whole ecosystem. When events stop, income in all related sectors dries up. We hope this stagnation ends soon."

Monika Rani Ghosh, a music instructor at the Bogura Shilpakala Academy, noted that opportunities for new work have dropped significantly. "There are a few small programmes, but hardly any large shows," she said.

She also pointed out that interest in learning and playing instruments has waned. "With easy access to software, many prefer singing along to pre-recorded tracks instead of learning to play. Only those truly devoted to music are buying instruments now-and they are very few."