Written by acclaimed playwright, director and actor Mamunur Rashid, “Guinea Pig” is a sharp satire rooted in Bangladesh’s socio-economic and political reality. The story exposes how ordinary people are treated like test subjects by the state apparatus and the affluent, highlighting deep disparities in how life and dignity are valued.

“The Human Voice”, written by French playwright Jean Cocteau and first staged in 1930, is a one-act, single-character play. It follows a woman speaking to her lover for the last time on the telephone. He is set to marry someone else the next day. Over the course of the conversation, heartbreak, fear of abandonment and emotional col

The festival opened with the Chobi Mela Rally, which began at the National Press Club and moved through the city to the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, culminating in an inaugural ceremony at the Jatiyo Chitrashala Auditorium.

The fair features a carefully arranged selection of stalls showcasing handcrafted goods, traditional showpieces, and local delicacies, creating a welcoming space where artisans and visitors can engage in a meaningful exchange of heritage and creativity.

The anniversary festival will feature both group and solo recitation performances. Alongside Muktodhara, several invited recitation organisations will take part in the programme.

Nearly 100 photographs will be displayed, tracing major phases of Khaleda Zia’s personal and political life. The images move from her early years in public life to her rise as a national leader, and through the long cycles of power, opposition and confrontation that have defined her career.

Inside the office, the smell of smoke still lingers. Guitars, tablas, dhols, khols, ektaras, amplifiers, chairs, tables, books, and files lie in heaps of blackened debris. Walls are stained with ash. Floors are layered with fragments of a long cultural journey.

The play, “Rangmahal”, was staged recently and received an encouraging response. Speaking to The Daily Star, Faruque Ahmed reflects on his professional debut as a director, audience reception, memories of Selim Al Deen, and what lies ahead.

Safiuddin Shilpalay inaugurated “The Color of Nature”, first solo art exhibition of artist Shahida Parveen on January 2.

Theatre organisation Ethik has announced that it will confer the Ethik Youth Award 2026 on 17 emerging theatre practitioners from 17 theatre groups across Bangladesh, recognising their contributions to contemporary stage practice.

“Tartuffe” is a bold and witty critique of religious hypocrisy, deception, and unquestioning belief. The play centres on Orgon, a wealthy man who blindly trusts Tartuffe, a fraudulent holy man.

The 16-day festival, which runs until January 31, will be open to the public and staged across multiple venues in the capital. The announcement came at a press conference held at DrikPath Bhaban.

Beyond his personal practice, Chowdhury’s most enduring contribution came in 1994, when, through sustained personal effort, he established the Narayanganj Institute of Fine Arts. The institution went on to play a pivotal role in decentralising art education and nurturing cultural practice outside Dhaka, shaping generations of young artists in the region.

The birth anniversary of Zainul Abedin, widely revered as Shilpacharya, is being observed today with tributes and commemorative programmes.

The doors are closing today at 9 pm. The event had audiences slow down, engage in conversations and explore works that celebrate local contexts, everyday absurdities and playful experimentation.

Several cultural organisations had scheduled the programme outside the Chattogram Shilpakala Academy on Saturday afternoon. According to the organisers, the event was aimed at protesting what they described as assaults on age-old Bangla cultural practices and the spirit of the Liberation War.

The festival opened with Kathak Nritya Shamproday’s dance drama “Prasanga 47”, written and directed by Saju Ahmed. On Wednesday, the troupe also staged “Shree Radhar Manvanjan”, another dance drama directed by Ahmed, further anchoring the festival in narrative-driven classical expression.

“Neel Moyurer Jouban”, adapted from Selina Hossain’s novel, unfolds less as a conventional play and more as a folk-epic meditation on Bangladesh’s never-ending search for identity.

On Tuesday afternoon, December 23, when the gates of Chhayanaut opened, it was clear this would not be a routine cultural programme, rather a peaceful cultural protest titled “Gaane Gaane Songhoti Samabesh”, as a large crowd gathered to show solidarity in response to recent attacks on cultural spaces and growing concerns over freedom of expression.

The two shows will be held on December 24 and 25 at 7 pm at the Studio Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.