For the first time, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy is set to organise the Munier Chowdhury National Theatre Festival, with a 15-day, production-based theatre workshop already underway across the country in three phases.

Originally intended for release on his death anniversary, January 14, a special tribute video titled “Bohumatrik Selim Al Deen” will now be premiered tonight at 9pm on the official Facebook pages of Dhaka Theatre and Bangladesh Gram Theatre.

Theatre troupe Aranyak Natyadal has organised a month-long festival to commemorate its 53rd anniversary this year, featuring a series of performances and events. The celebrations will take place at the Mahila Samiti Auditorium and the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA), beginning tomorrow.

The classic Orwellian allegory has been adapted and directed for stage by Jaganmoy Paul. The play will be preceded by the certificate-giving ceremony of the 47th batch starting at 6:30pm. The entry pass can be collected at the entrance of the Shilpakala Academy.

After a brief suspension, Bangla Academy has published a revised list of winners for its prestigious Literary Award 2024. The finalised list was announced yesterday night, following a reevaluation meeting by the Bangla Academy Executive Council.

The words, "What you touch, you change. What you change, changes you," perfectly capture the essence of "Nalini", an exhibition by French-Brazilian artist and printmaker Julia Lebrao Sendra. Hosted at Alliance Française de Dhaka (AFD) in Dhanmondi, this thought-provoking exhibition delved deep into the fragile relationship between humans and their environment, using the Buriganga river as both a subject and metaphor.

The Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy initiated its efforts to encourage and foster the practice of sculpture in 1982 by organising the first sculpture exhibition. This year marked the sixth edition of the national-level sculpture exhibition, showcasing 178 artworks by 159 artists across various categories. A total of 13 awards, including 10 honorary ones, were presented during this year’s event.

The topographic beauty of Bangladesh owes a debt to its waterbodies. Being a delta embellished with rivers, natural canals, wetlands, lakes, swamps, ponds, and fountains that flow into the Bay of Bengal in the south, the beauty of our land knows no bounds. The spirit of water flows through the veins of Bangladeshi people and the survival of the entire nation revolves around the waterbodies. Thus, our way of life, livelihood, and pretty much everything is centred around water. These ever-familiar images of rural Bangladesh and its people are powerfully portrayed on artist Zannat Keya’s canvases.

If Bangladesh is symbolised as a tree, then the Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Buddhists, and Indigenous peoples are its five leaves. Once a leaf is uprooted, the beauty of the tree is harmed — this was the heartfelt, pluralistic essence of the message conveyed during a cultural protest gathering organised by the Indigenous Artists' Unity yesterday.

They are both threatened by the construction of ramps for the Dhaka Elevated Expressway (DEE).

The play centres around three main characters: a politician, a scientist, and a theologian. All three are accomplished in their respective fields, yet each feels an underlying dissatisfaction, a longing for freedom. They’ve sought out a psychologist for counselling sessions, and soon realise that they’re trapped in their respective circles—suffocating, exhausted, and desperate to break free.

The 10th Oriental painting exhibition, “Seeking Peace and Harmony”, at Abinta Gallery in the capital’s Uttar Badda area has officially been organised by Abinta Gallery of Fine Arts, in collaboration with Oriental Painting Study Group (OPSG). The opening and award ceremony took place today in the presence of distinguished guests, including Monirul Islam, an internationally renowned artist; Anis A Khan, a member of the Board of Governors, Society for Promotion of Bangladesh Art; Samar Majumder, an eminent artist; Prof Dr Azharul Islam Sheikh, dean of the Faculty of Fine Art, University of Dhaka; Zareen Mahmud Hosein, founder of HerStory Foundation; Mikhail Idris Islam, chief adviser of the Oriental Painting Study Group; and Nilu Rowshon Murshed, chairperson of the Abinta Gallery of Fine Arts.

Artist Al-Akhir Sarker’s solo art exhibition “Satoborsher Dhaka” — a visual journal of our beloved Dhaka city and its transformation over the past few centuries — is underway at Bhumi Art Gallery in association with Shilpangan. Inaugurated yesterday, the ceremony was attended by the trustee of the Liberation War Museum and writer Mofidul Haque as the chief guest, and prominent architect Mustapha Khalid Palash as the special guest. The exhibition is dedicated to Foyez Ahmed, a Bikrampur-born legendary journalist, who grew up in Dhaka. Ahmed held onto the memoir of the city and its changes while becoming a pioneer of art galleries in Dhaka himself.

The play features Samia Chowdhury Joyee, Sadia Baydum Maknun, Mamun Abdullah, Dolly Akhter, Sabil Reza Chowdhury, Iqbal Noor, Talukdar Moniruzzaman Milton, Kamal Hossain, and others. Selim Shamsul Huda Chowdhury serves as the production director and set designer, while Professor Abdus Selim is the production adviser.

To have passed by the Shontrash Birodhi Raju Sharokh Bhashkorjo (Anti Terrorism Raju Memorial Sculpture) one day and to then have stood before its maker the next, was a surreal experience. The moment felt extraordinary, yet, the man I stood before made the the interaction remarkably humble. To me, speaking with sculptor Shyamal Chowdhury equalled reconnecting with an old friend — as though he was back in the art scene after years and was describing art like it were the essence of his existence.

The event, titled “Manush Bhojle Shonar Manush Hobi”, was notably attended by chief guests Law Adviser Asif Nazrul and Ministry of Cultural Affairs adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki.

The official logo unveiling ceremony for the International Migrant Theatre Festival, titled "Obhibaser Natok 2026," took place on January 4 at 6pm at the Jewish Center in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York. The event was initiated by the Theater Support Group, a virtual platform for Bengali immigrant theatre artistes, and was organised in collaboration with New York-based theatre groups and performers.

As one walks towards the flag stand, a series of photographs becomes visible. They depict various subjects, ranging from a single mother dressing her child to an unassuming child selling balloons on the street. However, these subjects deviate significantly from typical "poverty porn”, clearly portraying empowered individuals from all walks of life.

“Ek dofa, ek dabi”, “Bloody July in Bangladesh”, and “Shob Shabhabik”— each poster boldly bearing these statements against the fascist regime, painted exclusively in red, yellow, and black — were the striking artworks by Debashish Chakrabarty during the height of the July Uprising.

The organisers believe that cultural events like this can create a powerful platform to mobilise communities and influence policymakers. "This assembly is not just about saving trees or a park—it’s about protecting the soul of Dhaka city,” said Layeka Bashir, one of the speakers at the event.