The eighth edition of the 10-day theatre festival titled 'Ganga-Jamuna Cultural Festival' (Ganga-Jamuna Sangskritik Ustab 2019) will begin on October 11 on the premises of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) and Mahila Samiti in the capital.
Aiming at consolidating the harmony between Bangladesh and India through cultural exchange, Indian and Bangladesh Committee of Ganga-Jamuna Sangskritik Utsab Parshad have jointly been organizing the 10-day festival since last seven years.
Eminent theatre personalities Sree Meghnad Bhattacharya from India and Asaduzzaman Noor from Bangladesh are scheduled to jointly inaugurate the festival on October 11, while State Minister for Cultural Affairs of Bangladesh KM Khalid will attend the inaugural ceremony as chief guest.
BSA Director General Liaquat Ali Lucky, Director of Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre Dr Nipa Chowdhury, President of Bangladesh Pathanatak Parishad Mannan Hira and Secretary General of Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation, Kamal Bayezid will be present as the special guests, while convener of festival organizing committee Golam Kuddus will preside over the inaugural ceremony.
The festival will feature as many as 36 stage productions from Bangladesh and four productions from India. The festival will take place at National Theatre Hall, Experimental Theatre Hall, Studio Theatre Hall, Music and Dance auditorium of BSA and Mahila Samiti simultaneously.
Also, around 3000 artistes will take part in the cultural parts of the festival, including street plays, music performance, recitation, mime performance, jatrapala and dance performance by 121 troupes every day from 4:30pm to 6:30pm.
On the opening day, prominent local theatre troupes-Prangone Mor, Dhaka Theatre and Palakar will stage their plays at the three venues of BSA, while Loko Natyadal (Banani) will stage its play 'Konjush' at the Mahila Samiti. The festival has been scheduled to conclude on October 20.
'Ganga-Jamuna Cultural Festival 2019' will be arranged by Ganga-Jamuna Sangskritik Utsab Parshad, in association with Cultural Ministry of Bangladesh, India-Bangladesh Foundation and BSA.