Paying tribute to noted playwright, actor and director Syed Mohidul Islam on his 17th death anniversary, a five-day festival titled ‘Syed Mohidul Islam Smaran Utsab 2019’ (Syed Mohidul Islam Memorial Festival) kicked off yesterday on the premises of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) in the capital. This year’s arrangement also marks the one-decade journey of the festival organised by Batikrom Natya Goshthi.   

The inaugural ceremony of the five-day festival held yesterday evening at the National Theatre Hall of BSA. State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Dr Md Enamur Rahman, thespian Jhuna Chowdhury, theatre activists Golam Sarwar and Akhtaruzzaman, among others, were present at the inaugural ceremony and handed over the crests to the recipients.

This year, celebrated thespian Asaduzzaman Noor has been bestowed with the ‘Syed Mohidul Islam Padak’.

On the other hand, theatre activists Sujit Saha, Shadhona Ahmed, Mir Zahid Hasan, Tonima Hamid and Shubhobroto Dey were awarded with ‘Mancha Bandhu Award’. The Jugol (Duo) awards were given to Abhijit Sengupta and Dipta Rakkhit, Ali Haider and Samina Luthfa Nitra, Mosharraf Karim and Robena Reza, Moithili Guho and Shimanta Maitra, and Masud Sumon and Mumu Masud.

After the award ceremony, Theatre (Arambag) staged its acclaimed production ‘Draupadi Parampara’. Written and directed by Prabir Dutta, the play depicts Draupadi’s sufferings in patriarchal society by showing her humiliation at the hands of the Kauravas after she was put on bet at a dice-game by Yudhishthira, the eldest Pandava.

During the five-day festival, five popular theatre troupes--four from Bangladesh and one from India--are scheduled to stage their productions.

Today, on the second day, Jalpaiguri-based Indian theatre troupe Anami Theatre Centre will stage its play ‘Ar Ekti Premer Golpo’ at the National Theatre Hall of BSA.