The curtain will rise on an 18-day national theatre festival on September 24. With the slogan ‘A Mati Noy Jongibader, A Mati Manobotar’, the festival featuring 58 plays will be taking place at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) premises in the capital.
Jointly organised by the BSA and Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation (BGTF), a total of 58 troupes from across the country will participate in the event, which will take place in four venues simultaneously.
The four halls in which the plays will be staged are National Theatre Hall, Experimental Theatre Hall and Studio Theatre Hall of BSA, and the Mahila Samity Mancha in Baily Road.
Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor will attend the festival as chief guest, while noted thespians Ramendu Majumdar and Ataur Rahman will be present as special guests. Presided over by BSA Director General and BGTF President Liaquat Ali Lucky, BGTF secretary general Akhtaruzzaman will deliver the welcome speech at the opening ceremony.
BGTF secretary general Akhtaruzzaman said, “A total of 58 theatre troupes are going to participate in the festival, among those 26 are coming from different districts and the rest are from Dhaka.” On the opening day, Habiganj Jiban Sangket will bring their production ‘Jyotisanghita’ on stage. Two more plays will be staged on the opening day; these are ‘Naree Nosimon’ by Natyolok (Sirajganj) and ‘Palonath Company’ by Padokkhep (Gaibandha). The festival will come to an end on October 11 by staging three plays, these are ‘Pronoy JAmuna’ by Subochon Natya Sangsad, ‘Saheb Chander Eid Bhajon’ by Shabdaboli Group Theatre (Barisal) and ‘Devi’ by Bahubachan.