Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy arranged a memorial programme in honour of Shaheed Munier Chowdhury on June 28. The programme was held at the Studio Theatre Hall of the academy. A discussion and staging of Munier Chowdhury’s play “Dando” were the highlights of the programme.
Chowdhury’s student Professor Shamsuzzaman Khan, and Professor Israfil Shaheen of Department of Theatre, Dhaka University, spoke on the life and works of the personality.
Currently the Director General of Bangla Academy, Professor Khan, termed Chowdhury as “one of the finest teachers he had studied under.” He also called Chowdhury “a progressive man.” “His way of teaching literature was comprehensive. His ability to explain subject matters always mesmerised me,” said Professor Khan.
Liaquat Ali Lucky, director general of Shilpakala Academy, presided over the discussion. Ali Ahmed, officer of the academy, gave the welcome speech.
After the discussion, the play was staged. Directed by Mohammad Jasimuddin, the play was a comedy addressing morals. The story follows a thief who breaks into a house every night and overhears the elderly couple living in it. The husband accuses the wife of having extramarital affair with the family doctor, while the wife accuses him of pursuing a relationship with another woman.
Saki Farzana, Bidyut Sarkar and Mahbub Liton played the central characters. Fazle Rabbi designed the set, light and costume.
Shaheed Munier Chowdhury was born on November 27, 1925. Chowdhury attended Aligarh Muslim University and studied English Literature for his bachelor’s degree in 1946, and master’s at the Dhaka University in 1947. He completed his second MA in Bangla in 1954, and third in Linguistics in 1958 from Harvard University.
Chowdhury started his teaching career at Brojolal College in Khulna in 1947. He joined Dhaka University in 1950 and taught both English and Bengali between 1950 and 1971.
Chowdhury actively participated in the Language Movement (1952), and was imprisoned by the Pakistan government. He wrote the famous symbolic drama, “Kobor”, during his imprisonment.
On December 14, 1971 Munier Chowdhury, along with other Bengali intellectuals, was abducted from his house and executed by the Pakistani army and its Bengali collaborators.
-With The Daily Star input
