Bengal Sangskriti Utshab begins today
Bengal Foundation's Bengal Sangskriti Utshab, a 10-day extravaganza of music, theatre, dance, literature, film and pretty much all forms of art, begins today at Sylhet's AMA Muhith Sports Complex.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith is scheduled to inaugurate the festival this evening, while Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor and Bengal Foundation Chair Abul Khair will also speak. Dhaka Bank MD Syed Mahbubur Rahman and Index Group MD Zakia Tazin are also set to address the session. Bengal Foundation advisor AK Momen will deliver vote of thanks, and the session will be chaired by Brac founder Sir Fazle Hasan Abed.
Before the opening session though, the festival will see screenings of films, “Jonmosathi” (“Born Together”) by Shabnam Ferdousi, “Television” by Mostofa Sarwar Farooki and Nasiruddin Yousuff's “Guerrilla” at the Syed Mujtaba Ali stage. At the Hason Raja stage, which is the main performance stage, Warda Rihab and her troupe will perform Manipuri dance, artistes of Jatiya Rabindra Sangeet Sammelan Parishad Sylhet will present patriotic songs, Adity Mohsin will perform Rabindra Sangeet, and Joler Gaan will close the night.
Other attractions at the festival include an art camp with noted artists, a three-day Kali O Kalam literature conference (from February 24-26), crafts from 15 districts, traditional sweets and other delicacies from various regions, a book fair, a digital display on Sylhet's heritage and culture, an architectural exhibition, a musical instrument exhibition and more.
The various festival spaces are named after some of the most important cultural luminaries of Sylhet –Hason Raja Stage, Shah Abdul Karim Chattar, Syed Mujtaba Ali Stage, Gurusaday Dutta Chattar, Radharaman Dutta Bedi and Kushiara Colonnade (after the River Kushiara).
Anyone can join the festival free of cost by registering online – on bengalculturalfest.com, or via SMS – by sending “Bengal” to 6969. There will also be arrangements for on-site registration.
Index Group is presenting the festival, with assistance from Dhaka Bank. Channel i is the broadcast partner for the event, while Kali O Kalam is the media partner, hospitality partner Paturi, and other partners are Bengal Digital and Bengal Parampara Sangeetalay. Blues Communications is managing the event.
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