In Bangladesh, labour history is often narrated as chronology—laws, uprisings, collapses, reforms. From the 1881 Factories Act to Swadeshi in 1905, through 1971 and beyond, the working class appears in political history. But rarely does it appear as a cultural system that sustains its own memory.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a tribute this morning, called Hazarika’s music timeless, noting how his compositions “transcended borders and linguistic barriers for decades.” That universality is embodied in “Bistirna Parore” (popularly known in Bangla as “Bistirno Dupaare”), the song after which the voyage is named.

It was a vivacious gathering of artistes and discussants of Assam, India and Bangladesh at the National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) on September 7.