The year that was…

Nation celebrates Tagore 150th birth anniversary
Marking 150th birth anniversary (May 8, 2011) of Rabindranath Tagore, different organisations of Bangladesh had chalked out elaborate programmes throughout the year. Bangladesh and India had jointly organised a grand celebration on the occasion. The inaugural ceremony of a three-day programme was held on May 6 at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Vice President of India, Mohammed Hamid Ansari, graced the event as guests of honour.

Biggest ever street theatre fest
To mark the 40th anniversary of Independence as well as the 20th anniversary of The Daily Star, a month-long street theatre festival across the country was held from January 14. The Daily Star along with Bangladesh Patho Natok Parishad organised the event. The festival was held in around 50 districts, where more than 110 troupes from all over the country staged plays. In terms of participating troupes, plays, shows, venues and days, the festival was one of the biggest theatre events in recent times.

Chobi Mela VI: Biggest Asian photography festival
With 29 print exhibitions featuring over 400 images by photographers from 22 countries; 33 digital presentations; 9 workshops conducted by seasoned photographers; mobile exhibitions on 10 rickshaw vans and a videoconference with the Prosecutor of International Criminal Court, Dr. Luis Moreno-Ocampo, Chobi Mela VI (the biggest festival of photography in Asia) was held in Dhaka from January 21 to February 3.

Meherjaan taken out of theatres
"Meherjaan", directed by Rubaiyat Hossain, which has generated a major debate throughout the year, has been pulled from theatres in early February. The distributor of the film, Ashirbad Cholochitro, took the decision after the film received strong objections from several groups.

A world of music descends
Held on February 4-5, Dhaka World Music Festival (DWMF) 2011 offered the intoxicating grooves of soul, jazz, afro-beat, funk, reggae along with traditional Bangla folk for the first time at a major open air concert in Dhaka. The concert featured Motimba, local Baul singers Shajahan Munshi, Rob Fakir, Rinku, and Baby Akhtar; Bangla, Soothsayers, Lokkhi Terra, Dele Sosimi and other local bands and artistes.

Musical flashback under the Stars
A musical journey back in time, reminiscing on and appreciating the unadulterated melody of classic Bangla songs, is thus aptly named "Tara Bhora Raatey" (On a Starry Night) at National Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Dhaka on February 11 was part of the yearlong celebration marking the 20th anniversary of The Daily Star. Songs of Tagore, Nazrul, DL Roy, Atulprasad and Rajanikant initiated the journey back in time. The event was planned and coordinated by Sadya Afreen Mallick, editor of Star Arts and Entertainment.

ICC World Cup journey
Unforgettable! That may be all it takes to describe the events that transpired on the memorable February 17, 2011. A big bang signalled what many have been impatiently waiting for: the ICC World Cup had finally come home. That evening Bangabandhu National Stadium played host to the most impressive unparalleled extravaganza to grace Bangladesh. Before the official ceremony, a few local artistes entertained the crowds, setting the mood for what was about to come.

Ustad Zakir Hussain performs
Ustad Zakir Hussain, arguably the most widely known and influential tabla player of this age, performed for Dhaka music aficionados at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre on February 23. The daily Prothom Alo and Transcom Group arranged the recital in honour of the late Ustad Allarakha Khan, Zakir Hussain's father and mentor.

Bryan Adams romances Dhaka
It is a rare occasion when a world renowned musician pays a visit to Bangladesh. Usually we have to be content with performers from neighbouring countries dropping by. The hype that surrounds those events provides only a small glimpse of the excitement over the recent concert by Bryan Adams as part of his Bare Bones Tour. By 7 o'clock on Friday night (February 18), the drive-in of Bangabandhu International Convention Centre was packed with long snaking queues of music enthusiasts waiting for the gate to open.

Matir Moina honoured as World Classic
Tareque and Catherine Masud's much acclaimed film "Matir Moina" was screened by the New York State Writers Institute in USA, on March 11. The film was shown as part of screening of world classics that also include films by Federico Fellini and Akira Kurosawa. In January this year, "Matir Moina" was also included in a televised series of world classics on major Australian channel SBS. "Matir Moina" aka "The Clay Bird" premiered in Cannes in 2002.

Bangladeshi art goes to Venice
Bangladesh took part at the Venice Biennale 2011, held in Italy, starting from June 4. This was the first time that Bangladesh participated at the prestigious event. The 54th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale was directed by art historian and critic Bice Curiger. Five Bangladeshi artists -- Mahbubur Rahman, Kabir Ahmed Masum Chisti, Imran Hossain Piplu, Promothesh Das Pulak and Tayeba Begum Lipi -- had been selected to display their installations at the biennale alongside artists from across the globe.

Moner Manush receives Indian National Film Award
Bangladesh-India joint venture, Gautam Ghosh's feature film on Fakir Lalon Shai, “Moner Manush”, won two Indian awards including the Best Film at the 58th Indian National Film Awards.

Artist Anisuzzaman bags Int'l award
Anisuzzaman, a well-known printmaker, awarded the prestigious Honourable Mention Award in the Ninth Bharat Bhavan International Biennial of Print Art 2011, Bhopal, India. Anis' prints have been preserved at the Art Museum. He is the first Bangladeshi artist to have received this award.

Runa Laila rocks Delhi
A mesmerising live performance by the diva Runa Laila made Mahanabami, the penultimate day of the Durga Puja festival, a very special occasion for an estimated 1,000 music lovers who assembled at East Delhi's Miloni Cultural and Welfare Association on October 5. A half a mile queue of people was seen outside the Puja venue in a park, waiting to enter the pandal to listen to the singer live possibly for the first time in Delhi in many years.

Guerrilla wins big at Kolkata Film Festival
Nasiruddin Yousuff's “Guerrilla”, the feature film that captures Bangladesh's Liberation War on an epic canvass, won the Best Asian Film award and hearts of discerning film buffs of Kolkata. What made “Guerrilla” stand out among the movies that were screened in the competitive section introduced in the Kolkata festival for the first time this year was the huge canvass on which the Liberation War was portrayed.

Chhayanaut turns 50
For five decades Chhayanaut has stood tall, upholding the Bengali identity -- providing support to the nation whenever needed. Celebrating its 50th anniversary, Chhayanaut held a reunion for its current and former organisers, activists, member, teachers and students on November 25 and 26.

Making Hay
The annual literature festival that was born in Hay-on-Wye, Wales, UK and described by Bill Clinton as “the Woodstock of the mind” came to Dhaka on November 21, 2011.
Hay Festival Dhaka was produced by Hay Festivals Worldwide and the British Council with Jatrik Productions, and sponsored by The Daily Star and Qatar Airways. According to the organisers, Hay Festival brings writers, thinkers, musicians, filmmakers, publishers and readers together around the world to go beyond cultural and genre barriers and promotes the exchange of ideas.

Partha Pratim Majumder receives highest French cultural honour
Renowned mime maestro Partha Pratim Majumder received the title 'Chevalier De L'ordre Des Arts Et Des Lettres' (Knight in the Order of Fine Arts and Humanities) conferred by the Ministry for Cultural Affairs and Communication of France. The artiste was awarded the title earlier this year. Upon receiving an invitation from the French Ambassador to Bangladesh, Charley Causeret, Majumder formally received the title in Dhaka.

Compiled by Staff Correspondent