Jahangirnagar enchanted by MAYA'R KHELA

Celebrating Life kicked off its annual event at Jahangirnagar University on April 25th, 2016. Starting at 8 pm and concluding at 9 pm, the event was filled with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures, all aggregated for the love of culture. This culturally enriched event was full of mesmerizing performances and a brilliant portrayal of Bangladeshi life through a photo 
exhibition. 

The highlight of the event was the performance of Shurer Dhara arranged by Rezwana Chowdhury Banya on Rabindranath Tagore's "Maya'r Khela". The dance-drama, which is conveyed by dance movements and accompanied by dialogue, astonished every single soul in the auditorium, including the youth, few of whom are familiar with such artistic charisma through dance and dialogue. The auditorium was filled with captivated faces of the audience, who were enthralled by the artistic display of culture through photographs, and the awe-inspiring performance created the perfect atmosphere for cultural rejuvenation. The event was inaugurated with speeches from The Vice Chancellor of Jahangirnagar University, Prof. Dr. Farzana Islam; the Director of Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) Prof. Dr. Md. Khabir Uddin; and the Festival Director of Celebrating Life, Rafi Hossain. 

Jahangirnagar was one of the first Universities where the tour started in this 9th installment of Celebrating Life. Upcoming tours include Trishal University in Mymenshing ; Sher-e-bangla Agriculture University, BRAC University, and Independent University Bangladesh, all in Dhaka. Exact dates of these events are yet to be confirmed and Celebrating Life will continue to tour other districts in July.

A Scene From The Performance

All There Is To Know About 

Celebrating Life is a compound competition that invites films, photographs, and lyrics entries to showcase the many aspects of life in Bangladesh. This initiative is an attempt to provide participants with a huge platform for creative expression, organized jointly by The Daily Star and Standard Chartered Bank. Ever since its inception in 2008, the contest has expanded in terms of participation, and each year the entries have grown more diverse. This annual festival's plan is that through the entries submitted, they would be able to bring forward the nation's rich and diverse culture to the masses. This competition has no age limitations, so anyone who believes they have something to offer is highly encouraged to participate. This platform is also a great opportunity for those who want to discover their passion and with it, their potential.

A Scene From The Performance

Weeklong festivals will be organized in 12 districts of Bangladesh this year, starting in Dhaka and ending in Comilla. The awards will be handed over in a grand Gala event, which will take place in Dhaka, showcasing the winning entries from the previous and current year's competition.

The whole purpose of Celebrating Life is to provide a platform for students across Bangladesh to engage them with Bangladeshi culture. The festivals at various campuses is an attempt to bridge the gap between culture and the culturally-deprived students, who may want to get to know their culture profoundly but have not found a platform yet. Also, being involved with extracurricular activities such as music and photography alongside studies, help students in nurturing their cognitive abilities, which is one of the core aims of Celebrating Life.

Along with nationwide accolades, best participants will receive generous amount of money as tokens of appreciation. The winner of "Best Photograph Award" will receive BDT 1 lakh, the runner up BDT 75,000 and second runner up BDT 20,000. An annual calendar is also published by Standard Chartered Bank which includes the best photographs from the competition, which is sent out throughout Bangladesh, helping photographers and their works achieve exposure. Over a dozen submissions will receive "Honorable Mention" awards, along with crests and certificates. 

Prof. Dr. Farzana Islam; Vice Chancellor, JNU

As for the film-making section, the movies made must be either a Documentary or Fiction which must be at least 20 minutes long. The winner of "Best Movie "will be awarded with BDT 2 lakh, and an additional BDT 3 lakh will be provided for future projects. To encourage film-making, Celebrating Life also awards the best debut film, which can be either be a fiction or a documentary, of length ranging from 6 minutes to 20 minutes, with BDT 1 lakh.

The theme for Celebrating Life 2016 will be announced very soon, so those who are interested in photography, making movies and writing songs must start preparing themselves for the competition. As for the students, it is an enormous opportunity to make their university proud by winning awards in the respective fields.

by Syed Ahnaf Sadeed