Afsana Aziz Nitol

The tenth edition of Chobi Mela launches on February 28, 2019. In a press conference held yesterday at Drik's new gallery in Panthapath, the organisers updated the media on the upcoming programme. The festival will continue with many happenings till March 9.

A 100-minute drama of a love triangle, filled with jealousy, passion and emotions, was recently staged at the National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA). Titled Irsha, the play was staged by theatre troupe Prangonemor.

The mysteries of the parallel universe called 'the upside down' will continue to unfold this year with Netflix releasing the third season

The play was directed by Afrin Huda, a lecturer at Jagannath University. She also played the role of Khodeja, the wife of a zamindar. Her headstrong, vocal and confident attitude stood out throughout the play.

The many incidents of sexual harassment and discrimination were depicted through a dance performance titled, Dohon – Burning, at EMK Center recently.

Last Tuesday, an adaptation of English dramatist J B Priestley's play, An Inspector Calls, directed by Naila Azad, was staged at Bangladesh Mahila Samiti.

On December 10, the premises of Hotel Galesia and Resort Limited in Banani was filled with art, music, poetry and good vibes. The day was dedicated to all the women who were victims of sexual violence and assault.

Sporsho, founded by Nazia Jabeen, is the first organisation in Bangladesh to publish Braille books for visually impaired children. The founder of Sporsho and writer, Nazia Jabeen, was recently awarded for her outstanding contribution to the field of social welfare.

Nrityajog –a Bangladesh chapter of World Dance Alliance - Asia Pacific, will be organising Ocean Dance Festival of Bangladesh on November 22-26, 2019 in Cox's Bazar. Dancers from all over the world are going to participate in the festival. A prodigious festival such as this requires a lot of preparations, which have already begun.

Having a creative outlet not only helps children express themselves, but also contributes to their mental and social well being. Art has helped the children Project Pothchola works with, in many ways over the years.

Experimenting with various electronic musical instruments and clarinets, Niels Klein's quartet, aptly named Tubes & Wires, aspires to take their listeners on a trip to space with their music.

The performance titled, In The Skin Of The Other, started with the dancers stripping their clothes off. They were comfortable in their own skins and let each other explore it as they were dancing.

Among the many musicians that enthralled the audience of Dhaka International Folk Fest 2018, Labik Kamal Gaurob stood out with his sheer talent and majestic voice. He made his presence felt as a guest artiste, performing with Shayan Chowdhury Arnob.

To enhance contemporary dance practice in Bangladesh, Nyeem Khan Dance Company and Shadhona jointly started the Advanced Contemporary Dance Course from October 2018 to January 2019.

Musa Karim Ripon, a student of Islamic University in Kushtia, lost his mother and aunt to breast cancer in 2013. Early diagnosis could have saved their lives.

Singer Sanzida Mahmood Nandita first came into the limelight with Bangladeshi Idol. She has been charming the audience ever since –both as a singer and a presenter. She takes out some time for us in this week's “One Minute Please!”

With the euphonious tunes of accordion, bajo sexto, drums and electric bass, the band Los Texmaniacs, formed in 1997, creates a form of folk music that is very different from the folk music we grew up listening to.

Recently at a session, moderated by Bonna Mirza, journalists Rita Das Roy, Munni Saha, and Zyma Islam talked about the possibility of #MeToo movement happening in Bangladesh, in Dhaka Lit Fest (DLF).

“I used to cringe thinking about Syria. Now I cringe because of Ashraf,” said the actor, who is in search of her refugee activist lover Ashraf, in the play Oh My Sweet Land.

Tapan Mahmud, the very first Rabindra Sangeet artiste at Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra, will celebrate the 50th anniversary of his storied music career.