The story depicts the consequences of a youth's return after a long time to his roots--a village named Nayanpur of Bogra district, where he was born and spent his childhood. The film begins with the 37-year old Osman's arrival at the village rail station. Osman, whose childhood name was Chand, sets for his village home on a stormy night by boat rowed by an adolescent boatman named Qutubuddin. The boat capsizes in the inclement weather and the young boatman drowns and later dies. Villagers dislike Osman blaming that he was responsible for Qutub's death. However, influential Mannaf Khan, whose father killed Osman's parents and grabbed all their landed properties, gives Osman shelter without knowing his identity.

Lonely Osman often speaks out his childhood memories and recognises his friend Fazlu who used to say he would become a bandit. Osman also finds out the Kujo Buri, a hunchback black magic practitioner, whom Osman used to call 'Dudh Ma' (foster mother). She also recognises Osman. These baffle Mannaf Khan, who gradually comes to learn about Osman's identity. Mannaf Khan becomes worried about his image in case the whole village comes to learn Osman's real identity. For, he wants to contest in the next chairman elections. So he hires Fazlu, who is a burial cloth thief, to take Osman to a distant island where Mannaf's men kill both of them.

Made in 35mm format, Mahfuzur Rahman Kahn's cinematography is praiseworthy. However, what has made the 102-minute film successful is Abu Sayeed's use of symbolic shots. When Osman writes the famous line 'through death Kadambini proved that she did not die' from Rabindranath Tagore's story Jibito O Mrito, it becomes a symbolic suggestion of Osman's own death.

Among the performers, Fazlur Rahman Babu is excellent in his role of Fazlu. Besides, Zahid Hasan plays the lead role of Osman, KS Firoz plays Mannaf Khan and Najma Anowar plays Kujo Buri. The music by SI Tutul is another praiseworthy feature of Shangkhonad.