The five-day national Rabindra Sangeet festival titled ‘25th Jatiyo Rabindra Sangeet Utsab’ began at the Central Public Library auditorium at Shahbagh in the city on Tuesday.
Bangladesh Rabindra Sangeet Shilpi Sangstha (BRSSS) is organizing the festival like previous years to celebrate the 153rd birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore coinciding with the 27th founding anniversary of the Sangstha.
Information minister Hasanul Haq Inu inaugurated the festival as chief guest.
The chief guest, Professor Emeritus Anisuzzaman and others illuminated candles and released colourful balloons in the sky to formally open the festival, while the artistes of BRSSS sang “Alo Amar Alo”. This year, BRSSS is also celebrating the organisation’s silver jubilee through the festival, titled “Dibey Ar Nibey, Milabey Milibey, Jabey Na Phirey”.
Professor Emeritus Anisuzzaman was felicitated on his receiving the Padma Bhushan, on the inaugural day. President Tapan Mahmud and adviser Ameena Ahmed (of BRSSS) read out speeches in honour of Anisuzzaman. Prior to that, general secretary of BRSSS Sajed Akbar delivered the welcome address.
A number of artistes of several musical organisations — BRSSS, Sangeet Bhaban, Geetoshudha, Bishwabeena, Bangladesh Sangeet Sangathan Samannay Parishad, Rabirag, Geetanjali, Baitalik and Surer Dhara — greeted Professor Anisuzzaman with garlands and bouquets. Hasanul Haq Inu presented him with a crest as did Tapan Mahmud.
The chief guest emphasised on unity of all people believing in the spirit of Bengali nationalism, secularism and the Bengali cultural conscience, to fight against extremism and to bring back the true history of Liberation War. And in doing so, he urged all to hold Rabindranath in their hearts.
The inaugural session was followed by recitation and musical show. On the second day of the festival, on May 7, an open discussion on Rabindranath Tagore was held at 6:00 pm. Later recitation and musical presentation followed. On the third day, another open discussion was held like previous day.
On the fourth day, May 9, the 90th birthday of veteran and noted artiste Kalim Sharafi will be celebrated, and a singing competition was held on the occasion at 9 am. In the afternoon, the winners of the competition were awarded with Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury, speaker of the national parliament handing over prizes to the winners as chief guest.
On the concluding day, on May 10, a special musical presentation on Rabindranath Tagore will be held.
Meanwhile, country’s leading cultural organization Chhayanaut is holding a two-day ‘Rabindra Utshab’ (festival) at the main auditorium of Chhayanaut Sangskriti Bhaban in Dhanmondi to celebrate Rabindranath Tagore’s 153rd birth anniversary.
This is the sixth ‘Rabindra Utshab’ by Chhayanaut. The organisation was founded in 1961, on the occasion of the Tagore birth centenary. The festival began on Thursday evening and will conclude today (Friday)
The two-day festival is featuring poetry recitation, dance and musical performances and a lot more. Leading and upcoming Tagore artistes of the country as well several cultural organisations are participating in the event.
Noted musician Pandit Buddhadev Das Gupta performed on the opening day. It is for his incomparable sacrifices for music and the sarod, and for his soulful mastery of the instrument, that Buddhadev Das Gupta is recognized worldwide as one of the finest masters of the classical musical tradition of North India and have made him one of the best known cultural ambassadors of India.
Source: Weekly Holiday