Crutch er Colonel

The story begins in the rehearsal room of a theatre troupe. They are rehearsing a play based on the life of Colonel Taher. However, at the last moment, the lead actor refuses to perform the controversial role and is absent. This sparks a heated debate among the group about who will play the hero. As the rehearsal continues, their search for the protagonist unfolds through the act itself. They begin narrating the tale of Colonel Taher—a valiant warrior of history—recounting his courage, his love, and his refusal to bow his head before injustice.

Based on the wide-ranging background of the novel Crutch-er Colonel by the eminent writer Shahaduzzaman, the play—directed by Mohammad Ali Haider of the theatre group Bottala—brings to the stage the affectionate family life of Colonel Taher, his escape from Pakistan, his return to join the Liberation War, the loss of his leg on the battlefield, his post-war vision of forming the ‘People’s Army,’ and his deep faith and affection toward Major Ziaur Rahman.

Through the narrator’s voice, the play presents vivid depictions of crucial historical events and figures. In fragments of rehearsal scenes before the technical show, the audience witnesses the turbulent period from 1972 to 1975 and the subsequent political instability in Bangladesh—the formation of JASAD under Siraj Sikder’s leadership, Colonel Taher’s resignation from the army to enter politics, and the conspiracy of Khandaker Abdur Rashid and Khandaker Mushtaque Ahmed leading to the brutal assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family. It further portrays Mushtaque’s assumption of power, Khaled Mosharraf’s coup, and the killing of the four national leaders in prison as Mushtaque’s final act of vengeance.

The play also portrays Colonel Taher’s daring rescue of Major Ziaur Rahman from house arrest, and later, Zia’s betrayal and ingratitude that led to the unjust trial and execution of one of history’s great heroes—Colonel Taher. Amid the rehearsal setting, between different scenes, the performers engage in reflective discussions, analyzing and debating the various sides and implications of these historical events, presenting their own perspectives and reasoning.