International Weavers Festival opens today

The International Weavers Festival 2016 opens today in the capital's Army Museum field, to celebrate, showcase and promote the distinguished weaving arts of the different regions of the country. Along with that, the Festival will showcase weaving heritage of the different countries like India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. 

Through combining various initiatives and cultural events, this three-day festival aims at manifesting the flagship craftsmanship and traditional weaving arts of Bangladesh, and the latent entrepreneurial spirit of the grassroots women weavers. TS Events is organising the festival.

The festival will open at 3pm today, with the first day's theme being “Khadi and Jamdani”. It will include a mock village, a fireworks display, a lifetime achievement award, sessions titled “Reviving Khadi” and “Featuring Jamdani: The Legacy of Heritage”, a dance performance to Tagore songs by Sadia Islam Mou and her troupe, a “Showcasing India” section where Indian designers will display their work, a theatrical production on Jamdani by Tootli Rahman and Samuel Hoque, and award ceremony. The day's programmes will come to a close with a concert by British-Bangladeshi singer Shireen, Chirkutt and India's Monali Thakur.

The second day's theme is “Gamchha and Muslin, and proceed with a similar schedule. The cultural performances will be songs by Mehreen, dance performance by Pallavi Dance Centre and a closing concert by Joler Gaan and India's Annwesha Dutta Gupta. The second day's foreign showcase will be by Sri Lankan designers.

The third day's theme is “Indigenous and Mirpuri Benarashi”. Aside from the mock village, sessions on indigenous designs and Benarashi, Lifetime Achievement Awards and a showcase of Nepalese designs, the evening will feature Kathak fusion dance by Shadhona, a theatrical play on Bearashi, and a power-packed closing concert featuring Arko Mukherjee (India), Mila and James.

The event is free but subject to online registration. It is being organised with assistance from the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources. Other sponsors are Reela's Fashion Boutique, Mutual Trust Bank, Dhaka Bank and Green Delta Insurance.