Rafiqun Nabi, better known as Ranabi, is a Bangladeshi artist and cartoonist. He is best known for creating Tokai, a character symbolizing the poor street boys of Dhaka who lives on picking things from dustbins or begging and having a knack of telling simple yet painful truths about current political and socio-economic situation of the country. He was awarded Ekushey Padak in 1993 by the government of Bangladesh.
Nabi in 2011
Tokai, 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.
Rafiqun Nabi, the creator of the character