Chittagong based theatre troupe Tirjak Natyadal organised a two-day theatre festival at National Theatre Main Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) on Friday to celebrate the troupe’s 40th founding anniversary. Cultural Minister Asaduzzaman Noor inaugurated the two-day festival as chief guest while Vice Chancellor of Premier University Dr Anupam Sen and noted poet and writer Syed Shamsul Haque and director general of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Liaquat Ali Lucky were present as special guests on the occasion.
The troupe brought to the stage the much acclaimed production  ‘Oedipus’  on the opening day of the festival while ‘Raktakarabi’ will be staged today on the occasion on its closing day at the National Theatre Hall of BSA. Tagore’s ‘Raktakarabi’ (Red Oleanders) directed by Ahmed Iqbal Haider, focuses on the dwellers of a place called ‘Jagnapuri’ (sacrificial ground). The city is opulent but it lacks humanity. The leviathan King of the place, according to the mythology, is Kuber, but Tagore calls him Makar-Raj, as the play is not based on myth. One day a beautiful young maiden Nandini, symbolising purity, comes to the place in search of Ranjan, her beloved. Every male in the vicinity wants her, even the King himself. But no one can get a hold of her. As a result, the emptiness in every individual soul turns to cruelty. Eventually the King breaks down the walls of prejudice solely to get the girl. And a new conflict arises between the subjects and the King.
The probable cast of the play includes Sujit Chakrabarty, Ripon Barua, Shaila Sharmin Swati, Ramij Ahmed, Jewel Chakma, Lucky Amin, Mahabubul Islam Rajib, AKM Ismael, Shymal Barua Tanmoy, Ahmed Iqbal Haider, Amit Chakrabarty, Manik Mia, Labony Biswas and Suman Dey, among others. The festival also features exhibition, discussion, award giving ceremony and song rendition.  Eminent theatre personalities Ramendu Majumder, Ataur Rahman, Mamunur Rashid and Nasiruddin Yousuff Bachchu will be honoured at the closing ceremony of the festival today.

Where: BSA, Segun Bagicha
When: 7pm