Bangladesh Patha Natok Parishad organised the festival in association with The Daily Star.Photo: STAR

A two-day street theatre festival began in Rajshahi centering on the demand for the trial of war criminals and the necessity of keeping citizens informed about the authentic history of Bengal.
The festival staged two dramas that drew a large audience of young people to the open air stage on the banks of the Padma in the city on Sunday afternoon.
Association for Cultural Education (ACE) staged “Tribunal”, a street theatre which portrayed some of the gruesome incidents of murder, torture and rape that occurred during the Liberation War of 1971.
The play is a hard hitting commentary on the plight of families and friends of the 1971 victims who are still grieving the loss of their kinfolk and the failure to try the war criminals even forty years after the Liberation War because of conspiracies by pro-Pakistan forces.
Azmal Huda Mithu of ACE developed the script of the drama based on a theme, conceived by Faruk.
Rajshahi Theater staged “Bono Kyabbo”, a drama by young local playwright Ahsan Kabir Liton .
The 32-minute satirical play depicts how the younger generation has failed to know Bangladesh's true history, an outcome of the dearth of resources and apathetic educational policies.
The festival was inaugurated by Fazlul Haque, editor of a local Bengali daily 'Sonar Desh'. Freedom fighter Borjahan Ali and Rajshahi University teacher Moloy Bhoumik addressed the inaugural session.
Bangladesh Patha Natok Parishad organised the festival with The Daily Star as a sponsor to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Bangladesh and the 20th year of the leading English daily.