The second phase ran from September 6 to 14 at the National Theatre Hall and featured productions by nine theatre groups. The festival aimed to highlight Dhaka’s 416-year history, heritage and culture.

A special cultural evening featuring National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam’s traditional Leto Gaan (folk musical theatre) and Kabigaan (poetic musical debate) was held at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Dhaka on Thursday as part of the ongoing Nazrul Year celebrations.

A nationwide festival exploring the philosophy, music and humanist traditions of Kabir and Lalon Shah will be held across all eight divisions of Bangladesh from September 11 to October 30.

Written during Nazrul’s adolescence, the plays bring his satire, rebellious spirit and engagement with social realities to the stage.

Titled “Benuka: Rage, Sure, Shrutir Nibirataye Kazi Nazrul Islam”, the programme was organised under the patronage of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs as part of efforts to introduce Nazrul’s creative legacy to a younger generation.

The initiative comes after a strong response to the three-day Ekal Shekal film festival, held at the National Art Gallery Auditorium of the academy from August 9 to 11. Six films were screened during the free festival. “Roid”, “Mastul” and “The University of Chankharpul” drew particularly large crowds.

Nearly a year into his tenure, Stalin says much of the disorder has been addressed through tolerance, discipline and greater engagement. But his account of a functioning and increasingly accessible institution raises a larger question: has Shilpakala’s internal culture actually changed, or has its structural dependence on political and bureaucratic authority simply acquired a different face?

Film enthusiasts will have the chance to watch six acclaimed Bangladeshi films, including "Roid" and "Mastul", on the big screen free of charge as the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy hosts a three-day film festival next week.

The programme took place on Monday (August 3) at the National Music and Dance Centre Auditorium. Family members of those killed and injured during the 2024 student-led mass uprising attended the event.

A century later, that extraordinary meeting forms the foundation of “Rabindranather Dwitiyo Bijoya”, which revisits the unique bond between the two literary figures and imagines the emotional and philosophical landscape of their relationship.

Rather than remaining confined to history, “Company” draws parallels between the past and the present, asking whether the end of colonial rule truly brought an end to plunder, the siphoning of wealth and economic exploitation, or whether those practices continue today in different forms.

Looking back on her long career, she added, “I have performed at countless venues at home and abroad over the past 62 years, singing in Bangla, Hindi and Urdu. Yet it has taken me 62 years to perform at my own country’s Shilpakala Academy.”

The festival was originally scheduled to take place last month to mark the 127th birth anniversary of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam but was postponed due to unavoidable circumstances.

Runa Laila recently returned to Bangladesh. She had spent over a month in the United States on family business. Since coming home, she has been busy preparing for this programme.

Renowned cultural figure and and one of the pioneering figures of puppet theatre in Bangladesh, Mustafa Monwar, was remembered yesterday evening through an emotional tribute programme featuring songs, poetry recitations and discussions on his life and legacy.

The Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy will organise a day-long artists’ conference on July 12 as part of preparations for the year-long “Nazrul Year 2026–2027” celebrations.

The signatories argued that the programmes failed to authentically represent Lalon Shah’s spiritual philosophy, the Fakiri tradition of Nadia, and the guru-disciple lineage central to his teachings.

The programme will be chaired by Cultural Affairs Secretary Kaniz Mowla. Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Director General and poet Sheikh Rezauddin Ahmed will deliver the welcome address.

Cultural Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury attended the event as chief guest. State Minister of Cultural Affairs Ali Newaz Mahmood Khyom and the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Information, Broadcasting, Culture and Policy and Strategy Zahed Ur Rahman were present as special guests.

Alongside the opening production “Chor-er Naam Charandas”, audiences will see “Rina Plung” by Young Bonghung Theatre of Bandarban, “Oedipus” by Drishyakabya, “Cafe de Volte” by Hunt Theatre, “Byatikrom O Niyom” by Prachyanat, “Rongmahal” by Dhaka Theatre, “Mahakaler Antorjatra” by Natyayan of Sylhet, and “The Great Smuggler” by Shobdo Theatre of Jashore on the closing day.