Photo : BSS

JAHANGIRNAGAR UNIVERSITY, Jan 16, 2026 (BSS) - Jahangirnagar University (JU) has launched the Centre of Puppetry, Applied Arts and Digital Transformations (CPAADT), the first initiative of its kind in Bangladesh, aiming to integrate the country’s age-old puppetry traditions with applied arts and modern digital technologies to create skilled, creative and employment-oriented human resources.

The decision to establish the centre was taken after the Centre of Puppetry, Applied Arts and Digital Transformations Ordinance was approved at the university’s 140th Academic Council meeting on November 20 last year, JU’s acting Registrar and Academic Council Secretary A B M Azizur Rahman told BSS on Thursday night.

According to the ordinance, CPAADT has been designed as a multidisciplinary platform where academic research, vocational training and digital innovation will work together to transform indigenous puppetry into an educational, cultural and economic resource.

The centre will engage young people through traditional and contemporary puppetry, digital animation, creative design and applied arts, while ensuring inclusive access for all sections of society, including marginalised communities, the ordinance noted.

It said the centre will also harness advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), animation and digital platforms to modernise puppetry, expand creative expressions and open new global opportunities in cultural and creative industries.

Speaking to BSS, Founder of CPAADT Prof Dr Haroon Ar Rashid of the Department of Drama and Dramatics said the initiative was the outcome of his long academic journey on Bangladesh’s traditional puppetry, carried out under the guidance of eminent playwright Selim Al Deen.

“Puppetry is not merely a form of entertainment; it is a powerful theatrical and educational medium with a global heritage as old as civilisation itself,” he said. “After nearly 15 years of extensive fieldwork, I realised its immense potential in education, public awareness and therapeutic applications.”

Prof Rashid said the centre would offer hands-on training, professional certification and practice-based learning for young graduates, enabling them to acquire practical skills that connect puppetry, applied arts and digital transformation.

“Through animation, digital storytelling and online platforms, our traditional narratives can reach a global audience,” he added. “This will create new employment avenues and entrepreneurial opportunities for young talents.”

Expressing gratitude to the university authorities, Prof Rashid said Jahangirnagar University has once again demonstrated its pioneering role in higher education by introducing an innovative academic and vocational centre.

“This centre can open a new horizon for Bangladesh’s future workforce while strengthening the country’s cultural economy and creative industries,” he said.

With the establishment of CPAADT, JU aims to reposition Bangladesh’s indigenous puppetry not only as a heritage art form but also as a future-oriented, technology-driven creative discipline aligned with the demands of the 21st century.