Marking the 76th birth anniversary of theatre luminary Selim Al Deen, theatre troupe Swapnadal is organising a two-day festival titled “Natyacharya Selim Al Deen Janmotsab 2025”. The festival, held under the slogan “Selim Al Deen—Rabindranath lives in our art, the triumph of Bangla theatre is eternal”, begins today, at Jahangirnagar University and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, and will conclude tomorrow.

On August 17, the Bangladeshi art world pauses in reverence to celebrate and reflect upon the birthdays of two towering figures of our modern art history—Monirul Islam, who turns 82 today, and the late Murtaja Baseer, who would have been 93. Albeit belonging to different generations, both artists carried the flag of Bangladeshi modernism beyond our borders, inscribing their names on the international stage while remaining deeply rooted in their homeland.

Since the Stone Age, stones have been the bearer of culture and the earliest civilisations. Over time, aside from making weapons, humans began to incorporate stones into building shelters. Later on, they became the first medium for written language through the art of carving, and even today, despite being replaced by papyrus and the printing press, this form of art lives on.

The Dhaka Theatre has launched a four-day festival in memory of the legendary playwright Selim Al Deen, staging his Liberation War-based drama “Deyal” at the Mahila Samity Auditorium in Dhaka. The festival, which began Friday (August 15), marks Selim Al Deen’s 76th birth anniversary and will continue until August 18.

First staged in 2022, "Agunjatra" is the Bangla adaptation of Indian playwright Mahesh Dattani’s “Seven Steps Around the Fire”, translated by Shahidul Mamun and adapted and directed by Azad Abul Kalam. The play takes audiences deep into the lives of hijra and transgender communities, confronting prejudice, politics, and the fight for dignity.

Based on Arthur Miller’s “The Price”, the play has been adapted into Bangla by Asit Mukhopadhyay, with transformation and direction by Mohammad Bari. “Mulyo Amulyo” explores the steep emotional cost of eroding family bonds in the face of a profit-driven state, a fragmented society, and the relentless march of market capitalism.

To help Bangladeshi youth learn the art of drone programming from China, a specialised training programme has been launched as a joint initiative between the Chinese Embassy and Bangladesh’s Ministry of Cultural Affairs. As part of this programme, 11 individuals have been selected to travel to China — nine as trainees, one as team leader, and one official.

Theatre ULAB, in collaboration with Bodhi Natya, is bringing Bertolt Brecht’s “Señora Carrar's Rifles” to the Experimental Theatre Hall at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. Presented in Sukhamay Bose’s Bengali translation, the production is conceptualised and directed by Sarwar Jahan Upol, with production supervision by Munatasir Mamun of Theatre ULAB.

Alliance Française de Dhaka is set to present “Troubling Rain”, a captivating solo photography exhibition by noted photographer and educator Abir Abdullah. The exhibition will be inaugurated tomorrow, August 14, at 6pm at La Galerie, Alliance Française de Dhaka, Dhanmondi.

An entire year has passed since the blood-red chapter of July 2024; a trauma we never anticipated facing in an independent country. The survivors of the Liberation War of 1971 are still wounded by the atrocities of Pakistani rule, and yet they witness their countrymen, their children, having their blood spilled. Just as our generation saw the monstrosities of 1971 through visual documentation, the generations after us must also know what we fought for in 2024. With that in mind, several photographers came to the front lines. One such person is Jibon Ahmed, whose solo exhibition “Witness to the Uprising” captures the spirit and sacrifice of those days.

On the 101st birth anniversary of SM Sultan, Dhaka’s Faculty of Fine Arts came alive with a vibrant festival celebrating his legacy. Though Sultan’s own paintings were absent, contemporary artists showcased works inspired by his powerful, realistic style. Organised by Charupith Art Research Institute and partners, the event included exhibitions, seminars, and film screenings, reaffirming Sultan’s lasting impact on Bangladeshi art and culture.

In “Pendulum”, written by Masum Reza and directed by Nasir Uddin Yousuff, Afzal Hossain will step back onto the stage for the first time in three decades. The play is being co-produced by Dhaka Theatre and Desh Natok, bringing together two of the country’s most respected theatre groups.

Born on August 10, 1924, in Machimdia, Narail, Sheikh Mohammed Sultan — affectionately known as SM Sultan — abandoned formal schooling early due to financial hardship. Encouraged by local zamindar Dhirendra Nath Roy, he enrolled at the Kolkata Government Art College but left in 1943 before completing his studies.

The terrace slowly filled with people, with members of different indigenous communities and Bengalis alike. A white wooden shed displayed the main artworks of the exhibition, while the rest of the walls were lined with photographs capturing indigenous life and culture. In front of a hand-painted banner promising a day of art, poetry, music, and discussions, the event “Culture for Identity: From Soil to Soul” began.

A drama and cultural show organised by Oboyab Cultural Centre was held at the district Shilpakala Academy on Friday (August 8), marking the anniversary of the historic July Mass Uprising.

Urukku Bangladesh, in partnership with the Goethe-Institut Bangladesh and the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB), presents “Reimagining Waste”. It is a free-of-cost, open-to-all exhibition born from a three-month-long workshop exploring the possibilities hidden in discarded materials.

Tagore was not simply a literary genius who gifted Bengali literature its modern form. He was an architect of consciousness. The first non-European Nobel laureate in literature, he brought Bengali language and thought into global conversation with “Gitanjali” in 1913. His creative output—across poetry, fiction, music, theatre, education, and political thought—was vast, but always anchored in a core idea: that art must be in service of the human spirit.

In 1930, Tagore gifted five of his artworks—vibrant paintings of birds, humans, and a girl in a red robe—to a leading Berlin museum. The collection was part of a larger European exhibition showcasing over 300 of his works, which also travelled to Paris and London. Tagore’s art, like his writings, was gaining admiration; he had visited Germany three times, his books were widely translated, and the German press hailed him as a “wise man from the East.”

Bhumi Gallery in Lalmatia has opened its latest exhibition, “The Trendsetters”, showcasing 70 remarkable artworks by 10 skilled male artists. The participating artists are Anukul Chandra Majumder, Azmeer Hossain, Kamal Uddin, Sadek Ahmed, Kazi Sahid, Shohag Parvez, Abdullah Al Bashir, Kamruzzoha, Shahanoor Mamun, and Sourav Chowdhury.

The programme will feature recitations of protest poetry from July 2024, an open discussion session, and the third staging of Mime Art’s powerful production “Rokte Agun Legechhe” (“The Blood is on Fire”), written, directed, and performed by the troupe’s founder, Nithor Mahbub.