The New Nation - Internet Edition

Entertainment Report

Aranyak Natyadal, a theatre group, will represent Bangladesh at the 20th Masan International Theatre Festival (MITF) to be held in South Korea.

A 15-member team headed by Bikash Kishore Das, Secretary of Bangladesh Shil-pakala Academy, left Dhaka on August 2 to participate the festival. 'Raarang' will be staged at the festival on August 6. This was disclosed at a press conference at Music and Dance Centre Auditorium of Bangladesh Shil-pakala Academy on Thursday.

Drama activist and Chief of Aranyak Mamunur Rashid, participant theatre activists, among others, were present at the conference.

Mamunur Rashid said, "The process of sending a theatre troupe as a Government delegation has not been smooth.

Aranyak was nominated in 2006 to participate at the Cairo Theatre Festival, however, because of bureaucratic tangles that opportunity did not materialise. This year pressure from Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation as well as positive intention of the authority has made the participation possible."

There are a few problems. Generally 27 artistes perform in 'Raarang' - a play featuring the strife of the impoverished 'Santals' to survive the discrimination imposed by the dominating Bengalis - at the Korean festival however, 13 actors will perform in the play, he said.