20-day jatra festival begins across country today

Marking the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the golden jubilee of the country’s independence, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) has organised a 20-day jatra festival across the country.

Initiated by the Theatre and Film Studies Department of the BSA, the festival will be inaugurated this evening on the open premises of BSA, where State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid will be present as the chief guest.

The event will be presided over by Director General of BSA Liaquat Ali Lucky while Secretary to the cultural affairs ministry Md Abul Monsur will attend as the special guest.

Stage actress specialising in the jatra pala genre Jyotsna Biswas and Professor of Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University Dr Marzia Akter will be present as discussants, while Secretary to BSA Asaduzzamn will deliver the welcome speech on the inaugural day of the festival.

One hundred jatra productions by several jatra troupes will be staged across the country. Among those, five jatra pala – ‘Nisanga Larai’ by the troupe BSA Repertory troupe, ‘Bijarjan’ by Dhaka University troupe, ‘Bangabandhur Daake’ by Milan Kanti Dey, ‘Ghore Ghore Durgo Gore Tol’ by Aruna Biswas and ‘Ebarer Sangram Muktir Sangram’ by Hasan Kabir Shaheen – will be staged on the open premises of BSA from March 12 to March 16.