Tokai (character)

Tokai (Bangla: টোকাই), transliterated as Tokaii, is the longest survived cartoon character of Bangladesh, is a creation of Rafiqun Nabi or Ronobi, as he is widely known. Tokai, a street urchin of age below ten, is not only a character, it is a phenomenon in Bangladesh, acting as a witty outlet of the feelings of the people about current political and socio-economic condition of the nation. In fact the word tokai has become the colloquial synonym for street kids or dumpster divers in Bangladesh. Having bald head and pot-belly, Tokai became a national asset of Bangladesh. People love Tokai because he reflects their own thoughts in a simple yet witty manner. Tokai, who represents the most deprived people in the society, is the most loved cartoon character in Bangladesh.

Tokai was started in the year-beginning issue of Saptahik Bichitra on 17 May 1978. Since then, Tokai appeared in the weekly magazine Saptahik Bichitra and later in Saptahik 2000 (Weekly 2000– another weekly magazine) continuously. Apart from a six-month break, Tokai has never been absent from making fun of current political and/or social issues.

In 1976, Ronobi returned from a three-year printmaking course in Greece. He thought about creating a character in this time. A street child used to live outside Ronobi's home who died later. Based on him and remembering how he asked Ronobi questions whenever he opens the door, Ronobi planned to portrait a street urchin. He thought this boy would be the perfect picture of thousands of penniless who live in Bangladesh.

So he transformed his thought into the cartoon. And from the very beginning, the innocent-looking, cunning little boy won the hearts of the readers. Readers flooded Ronobi with letters praising his Tokai and making suggestions for Tokai cartoons.

Upon receiving such enthusiasm among the readers, Ronobi began to use Tokai to express his own observations about Bangladeshi society in the hope that it might influence politicians and policy makers. Tokai has something to say about everything and he always criticises all political parties and all politicians.

Tokai appeared in Weekly Bichitra from 1978 to 1999. Tokai was an inseparable item of this magazine during this period. But after changing of the editorial board of Bichitra, Tokai has appeared in the magazine Weekly 2000 in 1999. Since then Tokai became a part of weekly 2000. After more than 25 years of the appearance of Tokai, the continuing poverty in Bangladesh makes him as relevant today as he was in 1978.

The get up of Tokai is that of the common street children in Dhaka. Usually he is clad in a lungi that is barely reached to his knee. His upper body is bare and his swollen belly is prominent in the drawings. He has shaven head and thin limbs. His age is below ten, or more precisely, is about eight. He lives on the footpaths or in the big unused construction pipes strewn about the city of Dhaka. Just like the real Tokais, he lives on left-overs of others or food thrown away in dustbins. He has a very innocent face and expression.

Despite his apparent destitute status, he is always cheerful making fun and uttering witty scathing reflections on things around him, which constitute contemporary society. The precocious talkativeness is a major attribute of Tokai, as is his usual Dhakaiya language (Regional pronunciation of Dhaka). He is known by the name of his class rather than a proper name