An offering of music and dance to Tagore
Clockwise (from top): Mou (centre) and other dancers in “Shyama”; Nargis Chowdhury and Fahim Hossain Chowdhury render Rabindra Sangeet at the programme. Photo: Mumit M.
On the occasion of Rabindranath Tagore’s 148th birth anniversary, a cultural programme was held at the Ball Room, Hotel Sheraton on May 11. The programme, arranged by VCARE, featured recitation of Tagore’s writings, rendition of Rabindra Sangeet, and staging of the Tagore dance-drama “Shyama.”
Manzur-Ur-Rahman, former senior vice-president of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, formally inaugurated the programme. A group dance performance commenced the cultural programme. Artistes of Nrityalok Sangskritik Kendra also performed a group dance at the programme.
Noted reciters Pragna Laboni and Mahidul Islam recited several poems and writings of Tagore, including a duet performance of “Hothat Dekha.” The solo performances by Laboni and Mahidul were “Achena,” “Pratigga,” “Paye Cholar Poth” and “Aji E Prabhatey.”
Mahidul also read out an open letter to Tagore from Shaheed Harun-Ar-Rashid. The letter was found with Rashid’s corpse during the Liberation War. The letter — narrating the brutality of war — was first read out on Akashbani, Kolkata in 1971.
Seasoned Tagore singer Fahim Hossain Chowdhury, along with Nargis Chowdhury, rendered several songs at the programme. Nargis’ performance included familiar numbers, “Chokher aloye dekhechhilem” and “Shokhi bhabona kaharey boley.” Fahim Hossain also rendered widely-known Rabindra Sangeet, including “Tumi ki keboli chhobi,” “Aakash bhora shurjo tara” and “Ogo bideshini.” Both artistes seemingly struggled with the uncooperative sound system throughout their performances.
Dance-drama “Shyama” was the last item to be staged at the evening. The production featured dancer-model Sadia Islam Mou and noted dancer Kabirul Islam Ratan in the lead roles.
The drama narrates the story of a court-dancer, Shyama, falling for Bajra Sen, a merchant from overseas. The play starts with Bajra Sen acquiring a priceless set of jewels called ‘Indramanir Haar’ from Subarna Dwip. Soon, he is seen being chased by a royal guard. They come across Shyama and her acquaintances. Strikingly beautiful Shyama is pursued by many but her heart is set on Bajra Sen since their chance encounter. The royal guards arrest Bajra Sen and Shyama starts plotting how to rescue the object of her affection and soon comes up with a plan.
20th Nat’l Rabindra Sangeet Festival begins
With the slogan “…Durjanerey Hano,” the five-day ‘20th Jatiya Rabindra Sangeet Utshab’ (National Rabindra Sangeet Festival) began at the Shawkat Osman Auditorium, Central Public Library on May 5. The annual programme, organised by Bangladesh Rabindra Sangeet Shilpi Sangstha (BRSSS), marks the 148th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore. Over 100 Tagore artistes from and outside Dhaka are participating in the programme. The highlight of the first day’s programme were solo and group performances.
The day’s programme commenced with a rendition of the National Anthem. This was followed by choral renditions of “Akash bhora shurjo tara” and “Byartho praner aborjona” by the artistes of BRSSS. A brief inaugural ceremony came next. In his welcome speech, Tapan Mahmud, general secretary, BRSSS, introduced a seven-point agenda to create a favourable environment for the practice of Rabindra Sangeet. The list of demands also included the establishment of a Rabindra Academy and mandatory musical programmes on Rabindra and Nazrul anniversaries at all educational institutions.
Chief guest A.A.M.S. Arefin Siddiqui, vice chancellor, Dhaka University, formally inaugurated the programme. Nazrul exponent Sudhin Das, also an advisor to BRSSS, presided over the session.
In the course of the programme, the organisers felicitated noted ‘tabla’ artiste Md. Shahjahan for his contribution to music. Shahjahan has been involved with several musical institutions and had the rare distinction of performing alongside legendary singers Kanika Bandopadhyay, Hemanta Mukharjee, Manna Dey and many others. He has been involved with music for the last four decades.
After the inaugural, the musical soiree resumed. Aditi Mohsin rendered “Ratri eshey jethaye meshey.” Nafisa Rahman and Steve Turjo (from Faridpur) rendered “Aamar praner porey” and “Tomar khola hawaye” respectively.
Rabeya Akhtar and Sima Sarkar’s performance of “Ei korechho bhalo,” and “Shey din amaye bolechhiley” came up next.
Among others, Tipu Chowdhury, Liton Chandra Baidya, Rita Majumdar, Lili Islam, Ashok Saha, Mahiuzzaman Chowdhury and Shanchita Mitra performed on the first day.
Artistes of Surtirtha and Bishwabina performed group songs at the programme. Their renditions included “Nitya shatye chintan,” “Taharai aarti korey” and “Shundor botey tobo.”
Yesterday (May 6), an open discussion on different aspects of Rabindra Sangeet from the contemporary point of view was held prior to the musical soiree.
Today, a similar discussion along with a musical soiree will be held at the venue. Tomorrow, on the occasion of Tagore’s birth anniversary, a daylong programme will commence early in the morning. A documentary by Satyajit Ray on Tagore will be screened at 11:30am. Members of BRSSS will also celebrate the 86th birth anniversary of Tagore exponent and president of the organisation Kalim Sharafi.
Dhaka international plastic fair begins in city
The 5th Dhaka international plastic, packaging and printing industrial fair kicked off at the Bangladesh China Friendship Conference Centre in the Dhaka city on Monday.
The fair aims at boosting the local as well as international market of plastic products, raw materials and machineries.
Inaugurating the fair, the education and commerce adviser, Hossain Zillur Rahman, said diversified and quality products are needed to capture the international as well as local market of plastic and packaging industry.
The Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association, the Es Event Management of Malaysia and the Yorkers Trade and Marketing Service Company of Hong Kong are jointly organising the four-day fair.
He said plastic industry had some problem in issues of banking, finance and environmental releasing certificate and the government was working to resolve them.
The BPGMEA president, Jasim Uddin, said local plastic products was now facing competition with the foreign products in the international market and producing quality products to win over the challenges.
More than 300 exhibitors of different countries, including Austria, China, Greece, India, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the UAE, the USA and Taiwan, are participating along with about 40 local companies.
The fair will remain open from 12:00 noon to 8:00pm till January 31 to all with Tk 20 entry fee.
Source: Newage
Rajpunnah fest in Bandarban tomorrow
Rajpunnah, the traditional festival of tribal Bomang community to pay annual land tax to the king, will be celebrated in Bandarban tomorrow.
The much-awaited festival, introduced in 1875, is organised mainly for land tax collection from the inhabitants after harvesting ‘jhum’ crops.
To mark the occasion, a three-day folk fair will be held. The 15th chief (Raja) of Bomang circle Aoung Sue Prue Choudhury will formally collect tax from the inhabitants in a traditional way.
The king will arrive at the Raj Durbar with the Royal guests amidst sound of bugle. His courtiers and other token soldiers, all attired in traditional dresses, will formally receive the king.
Source: Newage
BASIS Softexpo to begin in Dhaka February 14
Local software companies expect the upcoming BASIS Softexpo 2008 to yield a good number of outsourcing and joint venture initiatives with the largest number of foreign companies and delegates participating in this year’s fair.
The Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services, the national trade body of software and ICT service companies, is going to organize the five-day event from February 14 at the Bangladesh China Friendship Conference Centre in association with international trade bodies.
Organisers said at a press conference on Tuesday that about 50 foreign companies and delegates from five countries will take part alongside the local companies at this year’s fair.
The convener of the exhibition, TIM Nurul Kabir said that they are expecting a good number of match making session with the delegates and local companies, during which local software companies will get an opportunity for outsourcing and partnership with foreign companies.
Rafiqul Islam Rowly, president of BASIS, said, ‘we have a serious image problem in the international market and our strategy is to bring the potential foreign companies to the country through this fair so that they can see for themselves the progress in our ICT sector’.
Denmark will be the theme country for this year’s event and IT Industry Association of Denmark will be the association partner of BASIS Softexpo 2008.
Danish Federation of Small and Medium Industries, Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry, UK Trade and Investment, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), will all be strategic partners of the exposition.
Rafiqul Islam said, ‘Denmark is the theme country for this year because they are emerging as the engine of our joint venture and outsourcing businesses in the software industry.’
Natahalia Feinberg, chargé d’affaires of Danish Embassy in Dhaka, said around 15 Denmark-Bangladesh joint ventures had been established in the country and many Danish companies are also outsourcing software development mainly in architecture, graphic design and 3D animation to Bangladesh.
She said about 15-20 Danish firms are coming to the expo and she hoped that the number of partnerships and joint venture will increase this year.
Tomohiro Kinomoto, representative of Japan External Trade Organisation in Dhaka, said Japanese companies are looking for outsourcing partners in Bangladesh. He said a total of six Japanese companies will participate at this year’s exposition in their bid to find outsourcing partners.
Kevin Ringham of the UK Trade and Investment at the British High Commission in Dhaka said there are opportunities for UK and Bangladeshi companies to work together. UK Trade and Investment will promote UK companies that collaborate with Bangladeshi ones, he said .
Shakhwat Ali, director of Export Promotion Bureau, Feroz Mahmood, country representative of Microsoft and Mostofa Jabbar, president of Bangladesh Computer Samity were present at the press conference.
The theme of this year event is ‘Get, Gain and Grow’.
Around 200 software and IT service companies are expected to participate at the fair. The exhibition will be categorised into zones such as business software, outsourcing, multimedia, animation and games, e-commerce, e-governance, hardware technology solution, telecommunication and networking, and a number of other categories.
The expo will also feature a Best IT Use Award, IT job fair and seminars on IT issues like e-commerce, e-governance, cyber laws, access to finance, and human resource development.
Organisers expect about one lakh visitors at the exhibition.
Source: Newage
National Poetry Festival of Bangladesh begins February 1
The two-day 22nd National Poetry Festival will begin on the Dhaka University campus on February 1 with a slogan ‘the message of poetry, the victory of democracy’.
Some 400 poets at home and abroad are expected to participate in the festival to be organised by the National Poetry Council, the organisers said.
While announcing the programmes at a press conference at the Dhaka University Teachers-Students Centre on Tuesday, the organisers called for restoration of democratic governance in the country.
The council will introduce the National Poetry Council Shamsur Rahman Award in honour of its founder president alongside the National Poetry Award 2007 during the festival, the organisers said.
‘A young poet will be awarded this newly introduced prize every year. The prize money of the award will be Tk 10,000’, said the council president Habibullah Sirajee. He announced the names for 22 subcommittees.
Festival convener Asad Chowdhury said, ‘We are observing that our progress towards democracy is being hampered in the country. Our concern in this regard is symbolised in our poetry.’
Poet Syed Shamsul Haq will inaugurate the festival on the premises of the DU central library. Eminent poets will recite their poems at different sessions during the festival which will also feature seminars and musical soirees.
Recitation of poetry will be followed by musical performances in the evening during the festival. The festival will also gather Bangladesh’s poets belonging to ethnic minorities and writing in English.
An exhibition of posters and other documents on previous years’ poetry festivals will take place on the island of the Teachers-Students Centre.
A good number of Bengali poets from different provinces of India have been invited to take part in the event. Shankha Ghosh, Sunil Gangopadhya, Samarendra Sengupt and Tarun Sanyal are among them.
Council general secretary Golam Kibria Pinu and poets Muhammad Samad, Kazi Rosy, Mohan Raihan, Aslam Sani, Rabindra Gop, Mustafa Mazid, Zulfiqar Hossain Tara, Tariq Sujat, Nishat Khan and Ayat Ali Patwari also attended the press conference.
The National Poetry Council has been organising the poetry festival every year since 1987.
Source: New Age
