Bangla Theatre presents Che'r Cycle

Mamunur Rashid and Chanchal Chowdhury in a scene from the play. Photo: STAR

Bangla Theatre from Dhaka staged “Che'r Cycle” on the inaugural day of a four-day theatre festival at District Shilpakala Academy auditorium on December 21. Ensemble Theatre, a prominent theatre group in Mymensingh, organised the festival.
Other theatre groups, notably Lok Natya Dal from Dhaka, Mancha Kotha from Khulna and Ensemble Theatre from Mymensingh are slated to stage “Sonai Madhab” “Rupchand Sundari” and “Kunjush” (The Miser), at the festival. The festival will conclude on December 25
The extraordinary performance of eminent theatre artiste and playwright Mamunur Rashid; Chanchal Chowdhury and Rubly Chowdhury enthralled the huge audience gathered at the venue.
Written by Mamunur Rashid and directed by Fayez Zahir, the play was fourth performance by the troupe.
Porimol Majumder, Habib Ahmed Sanjib, Ayun Ghosh, Abdul Alim, Tarek-bin-Salahuddin, Shamima Shawkat Lovely, Moni Pahari, Mitali Das, Mohammad Ali Babul and Bappiditya Chowdhury assisted in the drama.
In the play, Che Guevara is depicted as a revolutionary who puts up a strong fight against injustice.
The play also makes the point that the world needs a cycle rider like Che (who was an Argentine Marxist, revolutionary, physician, author, guerrilla leader, diplomat and military theorist) in the post-nationalism age because internationalism is a necessity against globalisation.
A revolutionary leader like Che is needed to drive out hired thugs in the field of politics and to root out militancy and plunder.
Earlier, a discussion was held marking the inaugural ceremony of the festival.
Mamunur Rashid; mayor of Mymensingh Municipality Ekramul Haque Titu; secretary of Bahurupi Natya Sangstha, Shahadat Hossain Khan Hilu; secretary of Mymensingh Nagorik Andolan, Nurul Amin Kalam and member secretary of the festival Abul Mansur delivered addresses at the inaugural function, among others
The speakers said that from ancient times, theatre has been used as a tool to help raise voices against oppression, repression and deprivation.
Once Mymensingh was famous for a range of cultural activities, including theatre, but now the practice of this ancient art is on the wane, lamented the speakers.
Through such festivals, theatre artistes and the younger generation will be enthused to join this field, the speakers went on.
Many young talents come to this field but due to lack of patronage and adequate facilities they drop out from the field, the speakers said.
Later, Mamunur Rashid inaugurated the festival. Saifuzzaman Dudu conducted the programme.
Artistes Dr. Ayrin Parveen Lopa, Asaduzzaman Sarker, Qaimul Haque and Sharif Mahmudul Haque, Narayan Basak, Prodip Dey, advocate Sheikh Saifuzzaman Murad and Mozammel Haque Monju were also honoured at the festival.