An ancient Mro folktale about a lost script is reborn as a graphic narrative

Preserving indigenous folklore usually means locking it away in academic archives or relying on fading oral traditions. But a collaborative cultural initiative is currently taking a remarkably different approach: turning ancient local myths into vibrant, accessible comic books.

Driven by Otibeguni's 2025 Indigenous Storyteller's Fund, alongside Alliance Française de Dhaka and the Goethe-Institut Bangladesh, an ambitious project is underway to give a new visual life to indigenous tales. The overarching goal is to produce a five-part graphic series by the end of 2026.

The second completed project from this fund has just surfaced, tackling a fascinating narrative from the Chattogram Hill Tracts. It adapts a deeply ingrained Mro folktale that explains the harsh realities of the community's agricultural life and the painful historical absence of their own written alphabet.

The idea was born out of a desire to bridge an untouched medium.

"I graduated in anthropology and have always been fascinated by the folklore of indigenous communities," says Khandaker Mahfuz Salekin, who co-wrote and edited the comic alongside Tasnuva Himi. "We noticed that while these tales have been explored through documentaries, films, and books, no one had really adapted them into comics before. When this storytelling grant came along, we knew it was the perfect opportunity."

For the visual storytelling, the editors knew authenticity was paramount. "We felt it was crucial to work with an indigenous artist who could genuinely connect with the material," Salekin notes. They found their perfect fit in Mong Shonie Rakhaine.

For Mong, the project carried a personal connection and weight. "Since starting my journey as an artist, I had not had the chance to properly work on stories from my own or other indigenous communities. So, this project felt incredibly special – like returning to my roots and identity. In a way, it feels like a responsibility and a tribute to my community."

To capture the essence of the Mro people, Mong drew heavily on his own memories. "I had previously conducted an art workshop in a remote Mro village and stayed there for a few days," he explains. "I got to know their culture, tales, and lifestyle firsthand, which I used as a direct reference for this comic."

The team plans to stick together for the rest of the five-part series, aiming to adapt folktales from the Chakma, Oraon, Garo, and Rakhine communities next.

"Since starting my journey as an artist, I had not had the chance to properly work on stories from my own or other indigenous communities. So, this project felt incredibly special – like returning to my roots and identity. In a way, it feels like a responsibility and a tribute to my community." -Mong Shonie Rakhine, Artist

What makes this current publication truly groundbreaking is the language itself. The team went far beyond a standard Bengali translation. Working closely with native speakers, they produced a parallel version entirely in the Mru script. 

For centuries, the Mro people carried the cultural ache of being a scriptless community. That changed in the early 1980s when a teenage student named Menlay Murang, also known as Kramadi Menle, decided his people had lived long enough with that historical shame. He single-handedly invented the Mro alphabet. By printing the comic in this hard-won script, the creators are pulling a monumental linguistic achievement into modern pop culture.

So, what exactly is the story written in this indigenous alphabet? It revolves around a divine messenger, a terrible mistake, and a completely digested language.

According to the myth, the creator, Thuray, dispatched a cow carrying written scriptures containing the rules for a prosperous life. The animal first delivered the message to the plainlands, instructing the Bengalis to weed their fields once a year and harvest three times. But the trek up into the hills proved exhausting. Starving along the way, the cow simply chewed and swallowed the holy book.

The comic visually tracks the fallout of this deception. When the community eventually takes their grievances to Thuray, the truth is violently exposed. The creator's wrath explains a quirky anatomical fact – why cows lack upper front teeth – and establishes the origins of a traditional Mro sacrificial festival.