Looking back on her long career, she added, “I have performed at countless venues at home and abroad over the past 62 years, singing in Bangla, Hindi and Urdu. Yet it has taken me 62 years to perform at my own country’s Shilpakala Academy.”

The festival was originally scheduled to take place last month to mark the 127th birth anniversary of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam but was postponed due to unavoidable circumstances.

Runa Laila recently returned to Bangladesh. She had spent over a month in the United States on family business. Since coming home, she has been busy preparing for this programme.

Renowned cultural figure and and one of the pioneering figures of puppet theatre in Bangladesh, Mustafa Monwar, was remembered yesterday evening through an emotional tribute programme featuring songs, poetry recitations and discussions on his life and legacy.

The Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy will organise a day-long artists’ conference on July 12 as part of preparations for the year-long “Nazrul Year 2026–2027” celebrations.

The signatories argued that the programmes failed to authentically represent Lalon Shah’s spiritual philosophy, the Fakiri tradition of Nadia, and the guru-disciple lineage central to his teachings.

The programme will be chaired by Cultural Affairs Secretary Kaniz Mowla. Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Director General and poet Sheikh Rezauddin Ahmed will deliver the welcome address.

Cultural Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury attended the event as chief guest. State Minister of Cultural Affairs Ali Newaz Mahmood Khyom and the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Information, Broadcasting, Culture and Policy and Strategy Zahed Ur Rahman were present as special guests.

Alongside the opening production “Chor-er Naam Charandas”, audiences will see “Rina Plung” by Young Bonghung Theatre of Bandarban, “Oedipus” by Drishyakabya, “Cafe de Volte” by Hunt Theatre, “Byatikrom O Niyom” by Prachyanat, “Rongmahal” by Dhaka Theatre, “Mahakaler Antorjatra” by Natyayan of Sylhet, and “The Great Smuggler” by Shobdo Theatre of Jashore on the closing day.

The programme featured a keynote presentation on Humayun Ahmed’s artistic vision by film researcher Dr Shahadat Ruman.

Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy has launched a 10-day programme titled “National Cultural Heritage Preservation and Tribute to Eminent Personalities”, aimed at honouring 45 distinguished cultural figures of the country.

The production revisited the well-known Bengali story by Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury, later adapted into a film by Satyajit Ray. Combining dialogue, music and movement, the staging aimed to bring the familiar narrative to a live audience through a mix of theatrical and technical elements.

The programme was organised by the Music, Dance and Recitation Department under the management of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, with the support of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs.

The festival continues with performances from a wider lineup of troupes over two days and remains open to all audiences.

The exhibition “Dharon”, currently underway at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, reexamines folk art in Bangladesh, positioning it as a dynamic and evolving part of contemporary visual practice.

The dispute centres on theatre troupe Tarua, which had secured the National Theatre Hall for April 22–24 to stage “All Quiet on the Western Front”, an adaptation of the legendary book by the same name. The group began rehearsals and ticket sales after receiving approval.

An immersive workshop in Dhaka is set to explore how personal and everyday stories can be translated into dance and movement-based performance.

Marking Chaitra Sankranti 1432 and Pahela Baishakh 1433, the Academy staged an elaborate five-day cultural programme, which drew to a close through a rich showcase of folk performances and film screenings.

Across five days, the programme will feature a wide range of folk and musical forms—jarigan, pat-er gaan, baul songs, puthi recitations, kabigan, gazi songs, gambhira, jalalgeeti, and bhawaiya—alongside ensemble dance performances by various cultural groups.

The Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy has organised a series of discussions and cultural events to mark Independence Day and Theatre Day, with programmes scheduled across multiple venues.