Nodir Kotha is a community-based art and environmental engagement project initiated by Shunno Art Space, with support from the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) through its METIS Programme.

Centred on the Buriganga River and the communities living along its two banks, the project explores the relationships between rivers, people, memory, livelihoods and the changing environment. Through participatory art, creative workshops and intergenerational dialogue, Nodir Kotha brings together local communities, artists, artisans, educators and young participants to share their experiences, reflect on the river’s history and engage with contemporary environmental challenges.

Working across Kamrangirchar and Zinzira in the greater Dhaka area, the project creates opportunities for community members to express their connections with the river through visual art, collective making and shared storytelling. It seeks to bring local knowledge, personal memories and environmental awareness into a common creative space.

Rather than approaching environmental concerns solely through scientific or educational discourse, Nodir Kotha uses art as a means of participation, reflection and collective learning. It recognises the river not only as an ecological resource but also as a living landscape shaped by human relationships, cultural memory and everyday life.

Through this initiative, Shunno continues to explore the potential of participatory art as a means of connecting communities, fostering environmental consciousness and creating meaningful dialogue around the future of Bangladesh’s rivers.

Supported by: Agence Française de Développement (AFD)
Programme: METIS Programme

Grantee: Jafar Iqbal
Initiated by: Chalantika Travelling Studio and Shunno Art Space, Bangladesh