Anushilon Natyadal

Anushilon Natyadal performing in a play Bohe Prantojan

To speak of its glorious past, Moloy Bhaumik, the chief of the group who is the Vice President of BGTF as well, says, 'Though I teach Management at the University, my involvement with the group has often given me moments of happiness.' Some of the active students namely TM Jahid Hossen, Shamsul Alam Bakul, Moloy Bhowmik and others founded the group in 1979. The members of Anushilon Natyadal are basically students.

A big problem, however, for the campus-based groups is, when every year the old students leave the campus and the freshers enter. 'Ex-students are always welcome if they can manage time', says Moloy. 'Even then each year we have to prepare new performers.'

Moreover, unstable political crisis is another threat that the group is facing now. Moloy informs, 'Last year, the dominating political cadres of Chhatra Shibir assaulted us for staging a show on campus. But it never happened in the earlier days, specifically when quite a large number of cultural organisations were active during the early 80s. We believe that theatre movement is a part of social change.'

This campus-based group is the most prominent cultural organisation in the northern part of the country having staged many plays at the Mahila Shomity Mancha in the capital. Anushilon has taken part in the festivals arranged by International Theatre Institute (ITI) in February 2001 and in December 2003. It has held the top most posts of the Sammilito Shanskritik Jote's northern branch for consecutive seven years. 'We also took part in the National Drama Festival in 1991,' says Moloy. Moreover, one of its productions--Shob Babochchhed, written and directed by Moloy Bhaumik--was telecast on BTV in 2001.

MR Islam, the General Secretary of Aushilon Natyadal, says, 'We have produced 44 plays of which nine are stage plays and others are Pothonatak [street drama]. Bohe Prantojan is our current production, which we have displayed as part of the ITI festival in Dhaka last December. We are keeping touch with many renowned drama personalities of the country like Ramendu Majumdar, Mamunur Rashid, Liakat Ali Lucky, Fayez Jahir and others. Although there are a lot of obstacles in continuing theatrical activities, we have often held and participated in festivals and other cultural activities. We can boast that we have taken strong steps whenever the nation has initiated any movement.'