Prominent alternative outfit Meghdol has returned to Coke Studio Bangla with ‘Mulluk’, a rich musical exploration built upon the century-old folk songs of Bangladesh’s tea-estate labourers. The song arrives three years after the group’s popular track ‘Bonobibi’ aired during the platform’s second season in 2023, presenting a contemporary sonic reinterpretation of an oral tradition handed down through generations.

Released as the fourth song of the platform’s fourth season, ‘Mulluk’ takes inspiration from a traditional folk ballad preserved by tea-plantation workers across generations. The composition reflects on the search for ancestral roots, questions of displaced cultural identity, and the enduring longing to return home. By uniting age-old vocal traditions with modern alternative instrumentation, the production gives voice to the historical hardships and resilience of the tea-growing community.

Over a career spanning more than twenty years, Meghdol has established a recognisable voice within the Bengali music scene, combining literary themes and regional folklore with experimental rock. In ‘Mulluk’, the band draws heavily from the evocative line ‘Pinjirake pushlo moyna’, tapping into the spirit of the historic 1921 ‘Mulluk Cholo’ movement, when indentured plantation labourers launched a mass campaign to break away from colonial exploitation and journey back to their ancestral lands.

Written and composed with melodic arrangements by Shibu Kumer Shill, the track sees Meghdol collaborating directly with grassroots tea-community singers Ranju Tanti and Ranjit Tanti. The rhythmic drive of the traditional Sreemangal dhol adds regional authenticity to the performance, matching the vocal delivery with the folk percussion native to the country’s north-eastern tea belt.

The track succeeds the fourth season’s previous release, ‘Patar Banshuri’, which debuted in July featuring vocals, composition, and lyrics by Ishan Mozumder alongside singer Sunidhi Nayak, produced by Adit Rahman. Through ‘Mulluk’, the studio continues its effort to bring lesser-known regional folk histories into mainstream contemporary music.