Art & Culture

The delicious smell of pithas wafting through the air at Ramna Batamul makes it known that Nabanno festival has finally arrived for the urban dwellers. Nabanno, one of the most celebrated festivals of the country, is one of the greatest times of merrymaking for the farmers, as they harvest their crops at this time. However, the ongoing ... Read more

Today is the 15th death anniversary of Sufia Kamal, a renowned poet and a pioneer of women’s rights movement in Bangladesh. She received Independence Day Award, Ekushey Padak, Bangla Academy Award, Deshbandhu CR Das Gold Medal, and many other national and international accolades. Born in the Shayestabad’s Nawab family in Barisal, Sufia Kamal (June 20, 1911 –November ... Read more

Noted filmmaker Kamar Ahmad Simon said that his one after another international recognitions for his film ‘Shunte Ki Pao!’ (Are You Listening!) boost him to overcome the hurdles he faces as an independent filmmaker in Bangladesh. The film, an artistic presentation of winning the nature by common people, has recently bagged Best Documentary Film Audience Award ... Read more

The Chakma community, like other communities of the hill tracts of the country, has been mired in political unrest and conflicts for long. In spite of the community’s engagement in weathering hard times, Kanak Chanpa Chakma, an insider of the largest ethnic community and a prominent artist, chooses not to directly address the political struggles ... Read more

It is the age old tradition to celebrate Agrahayan, the seventh month of Bangla year, which is associated with new harvest. Following the tradition, the urban troupes these days also organise programmes celebrating the month. Like the previous years, Jatiyo Nabanno Utsab Udjapan Parisad organised a day-long programme at the Bakul Tala of the Faculty ... Read more

The six-day theatre festival organised by Drishtipat Natya Dal ended through staging of two plays on Friday at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. The troupe organised the festival in celebrating its 30th founding anniversary. Eleven local and one Kolakata based troupe staged one production each at the festival that began on November 9, two days before anniversary date ... Read more

Dhaka Theatre has come up with an innovative programme to promote young theatre practitioners of the troupe as theatre directors. As part of the programme, four activists of the troupe named Rubayet Ahmed, Esha Yousuf, Wasim Ahmed and Samiun Jahan Dola will direct iconic playwright Al Deen’s plays titled Iti Potromita, Golpo Niye Golpo, Amrita Upakkhyan ... Read more

An evening of classical music and dance at a programme at the Music and Dance Centre of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy entertained classical music aficionados on Thursday. The academy organised the programme featuring classical recitals presented by noted classical dancers, vocalists and instrumentalists. Noted dancers Shamim Ara Nipa and Shibly Mohammad, along with the dancers of their dance

The headquarters of the International Theatre Institute (ITI) is being relocated to Shanghai, China, says a press release. After staying in Paris for 66 years, it is expected that the general secretariat will move to Shanghai in April, 2015, adds the release. ITI, to note, is the umbrella organisation, founded in 1948, by theatre and ... Read more

A discussion programme highlighting the 2014 Nobel Laureate for literature, Patrick Modiano was held on Thursday at the auditorium of Alliance Française de Dhaka located at Dhanmondi. The programme was jointly organised by Writer’s Association of Bangladesh (WRAB) and Alliance Française de Dhaka. The intention of the programme, shared the organisers, was to introduce Patrick Modiano ... Read more

As the adage goes, an image is worth a thousand words; and it’s all the more if the image tells the untold stories of oppression. Noted photographer Kakoli Prodhan has used the powerful medium of photography to expose the injustices taking place in different corners of the country. She, however, has not only used photos ... Read more

Today is the 66th birth anniversary of legendary author, dramatist, screenwriter, playwright and filmmaker Humayun Ahmed. Different socio-cultural organisations have organised different programmes to mark the occasion. Television channels have also chalked out special programmes in celebration of the day. Bangladesh National Museum has organised a 15-day exhibition featuring photographs, manuscripts and personal belongings

French master filmmaker Claire Denis will visit Bangladesh to attend a programme titled Tareque Masud Master’s Class in December. The two-day programme will be held on December 8 and 9 at Chhayanaut at Dhanmondi in the capital. The programme, which will start at 9:00am on both the days, will feature screening of six films by Claire ... Read more

Dristipat Theatre Fest Konjush, Kongkal staged on second day  Two invited theatre troupes — Loko Natyadal (Siddheswary) and Natyateertha — staged plays on the second day of the ongoing six-day Dristipat Theatre Festival on Monday at the theatre halls of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. Dristipat Natyadal has organised the festival to celebrate its 30th founding anniversary. Loko Natyadal ... Read more

Autistic children are not burdens to society or family, and, with proper care and inspiration, they can demonstrate their capabilities and creativity. Even in the realm of art, such children can show utmost creativity and perfection with high sense of colour combinations in drawings featuring an array of themes. One hundred and twenty of such vibrant ... Read more

The two-day classical dance festival ended amidst enthusiasm of the classical dance buffs at Chhayanaut auditorium at Dhanmondi in the capital on Saturday. Different genres of classical dance including Manipuri, Odissi, Bharat Natyam and Kathak dance were presented by artistes from different districts on the concluding day. Sylhet-based artiste Santona Devi kicked off the day’s programme with ... Read more

30 Years Of Dristipat Natyday A six-day festival begins at Shilpakala Theatre troupe Dristipat Natyadal has organised a six-day theatre festival at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy to celebrate the troupe’s 30 eventful years in the country’s theatre arena. In its 30 active years, Dristipat Natyadal has produced as many as 22 plays, along with organising workshops, seminars ... Read more

Harijan, literally meaning son of Hari/Vishnu, may sound elated and elevated, but the people that the word denotes are quite the opposite. It is the dalits, outcastes, untouchables who were given the lofty name Harijan by Gujrati poet Narasimha Mehta and popularised by none other than Mahatma Gandhi. History seems to have played its usual ... Read more

Indigenous Manipuri Community observed ‘Ras Lila Festival’ at their two temples in Kamalganj upazila of Moulvibazar district on Thursday. Moulvibazar district Jamaat relaxed their 48 hour long shut down at Kamalganj upazila on Thursday, so that the Manipuri Community could observe the festival accordingly. Shib Bazaar Jura Mondop and Adampur Mondop, the two sites where ... Read more

Beautifully choreographed pieces of kathak enthralled audiences at a programme, held at Music and Dance Centre of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on Sunday evening. The programme titled ‘Parampara Kathak Nritya Sandhya’ was organised by popular dance organisation Nrittyanchal. Noted dancer from India, Guru Sree Sandip Mallick and one of his current students, Nrittyanchal artiste Monira Parvin ... Read more