The government announced the recipients of Ekushey Padak 2024 upon 21 distinguished citizens of the country in recognition of their momentous contributions in various fields of the nation. The Ministry of Cultural Affairs revealed the names of the honourees of this year.

Humayun Faridee, hailed as one of Bangladesh's cinematic legends, departed prematurely at the age of 60, leaving behind an everlasting legacy on the stages of theatre, the screens of television, and the reels of film.

A nine-member jury board comprising eminent theatre personalities such as Shafi Ahmed, Kamaluddin Kabir, Haroon Ar Rashid Khan, Debaprosad Debnath, Hridi Huq, Fahmida Haq Koli, Sadhana Ahmed, Kha Ma Harun, and Nazrul Kabir were tasked to watch and evaluate 33 plays staged in 2023 for the award.

Today’s late afternoon saw the inauguration of artist Sreebash Basak's first solo art exhibition, featuring his collection of paintings entitled "Chitopotro" at Safiuddin Shilpalay in the capital’s Dhanmondi area.

In a joint statement, 18 renowned cultural and theatrical personalities, including celebrated actor, elocutionist, and cultural figure Syed Hasan Imam, thespian Ramendu Majumdar, Ferdousi Mazumder, Mamunur Rashid, and theatre personality Nasiruddin Yousuff, have voiced their outrage and firm stance against the incident at JU.

Anisul Hoque, a beloved contemporary literary figure, has gained acclaim for his contributions to poetry, short stories, novels, satire, and various literary genres. Recognised with the prestigious Bangla Academy Award and numerous other accolades, his work, particularly the book "Ma", has achieved unprecedented print numbers in the country.

Notably, Natyacharya Bulbul Chowdhury (January 1, 1919 - May 17, 1954) is considered the pioneer of modern dance in Bangladesh. He earned distinction as the first Muslim dancer of the British-era Indian subcontinent, and by the age of 30, he was honoured as the National Dancer of Pakistan.

Announcing the official prize-giving ceremony of “Ishrat Nishat Natya Puraskar 2023” on February 9, the committee’s executive committee chairman, Nasir Uddin Yousuff, along with chief coordinator Selina Shelley, declared the names of the nominated theatre personalities in categories of best in production, director, playwright, male actor, female actor, best light designer, set designer and music designer and costume designer.

“Dhaka Makers”, an independent arts and crafts festival, is a vibrant platform for local artistes to showcase their creativity and connect with like-minded individuals. During my recent visit to the second edition of the event, I was impressed by the diverse range of stalls that highlighted a variety of Bangladeshi artworks.

In the exhibition, the development and changes in the shape of the dolls are represented according to the important time periods of Japan. This can be seen through the shape of the dolls, from the traditional to the collector figure. Not only that, this exhibition also displays “Ningyo” forms and styles with characteristics from each region in Japan.

The Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation (BGTF) has arranged the National Street Theatre Festival under the theme “Yardstick of Politics, Art, Literature, and Culture”. For 34 years, the BGTF has been hosting this festival in honour of the language martyrs at the Central Shaheed Minar premises. This year, the festival will take place across 21 zones in eight divisions, including the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka.

The "Voices of Resistance 2024" exhibition, currently taking place at The KL City Art Gallery and featuring the active participation of talented Bangladeshi artists, offers a distinctive fusion of creativity that goes beyond geographical boundaries. This artistic endeavour, organised by the Birlikte Sanat Society in collaboration with the Turkish Embassy in Kuala Lumpur and Yunus Emre Institute (YEE), not only celebrates Turkish artistry but also serves as a platform for solidarity with Gaza.

The second edition of Dhaka Makers, an independent arts and crafts festival that kicked off on February 1, 2024, at the Aloki Convention Center. Established as a vibrant platform for local, contemporary artists, the festival aims to showcase their work and foster connections within the creative community.

The 25th edition of the festival, arranged by India’s prestigious theatre school National School of Drama, will begin on February 1 in Mumbai and will be held across 15 cities till February 21 with the theme, “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, Vande Bharangam”.

Quazi Nawshaba Ahmed, who recently captivated the audiences with her brilliant performances in the Aarshinagar theatre troupe’s "Siddhartha" in its back-to-back five shows, is all set to make her directorial return to theatre with a play based on the life of children with special needs.

Like William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”, the plot of the play revolves around two families, who differ from each other in terms of religion in the adapted backdrop of a city in Bangladesh.

The inaugural ceremony, graced by celebrated guests including playwright Mamunur Rashid, actors and actresses Tariq Anam Khan, Bonna Mirza, Salahuddin Lavlu, and Aruna Biswas, marked the commencement of the theatrical affair. Indian artistes Anshuman Bhowmick and Sanchita Bashu added an international flavour to the event, emphasising the cross-cultural significance of the fair.

A cluster of paintings crafted by Bangladeshi author, screenwriter, novelist, dramatist, and journalist Anisul Hoque has been gathered for the orchestration of a solo art exhibition at Galleri Kaya in the capital’s Uttara region.

The Japan Foundation, in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh, is set to showcase an exhibition titled "NINGYŌ: Art and Beauty of Japanese Dolls" at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. The term "NINGYŌ" translates to "dolls" in Japanese.

Amongst Padma Shri winners are 47 awardees in the field of arts from 110 total nominees. They are Rezwana Choudhury Bannya (Rabindra Sangeet exponent, Bangladesh), Ratan Kahar (folk singer, lyricist), Ashok Kumar Biswas (artist), Balakrishnan Sadanam Puthiya Veetil (dance exponent), and Pandit Om Prakash Sharma (theatre artiste), amongst 42 others from arts category.