Hiroshima Day observed

A scene from the play Tringshoshotapdi

On August 6, 2005, Swapnodal, a theatrical group, arranged a day-long programme at the Experimental Theatre Stage at Shilpakala Academy to observe Hiroshima Day.

The programme began with a poster exhibition. Humayun Kabir collected these posters from the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Foundation in Japan to display the destruction of the city by the nuclear bomb. Kabir says, "I collected these posters from Hiroshima to generate awareness among the people of Bangladesh against nuclear weapons."

Visitors flocked to the programme to see the poster display as well as a stage play -- Tringshoshotapdi (thirtieth century) by Swapnodal. The organisers took a firm stand against any form of war and expressed their solidarity with the war victims.

Before the show, acclaimed theatre personalty Selim Al Deen, Hiroki Sawatanabe, a Japanese citizen working with the NGO Ekmatra, in Bangladesh and others delivered speeches. Zahid Ripon was the host of the session. Said Hiroki Sawatanabe, "I am really impressed seeing the solidarity of the Bangladeshis with the Japanese victims of Hiroshima. We call for peace in the world."

Selim Al Deen said, "The destructive element of human behaviour is evident even today. We want human beings to use their rationality every step of the way."

Zahid Ripon has adapted the play from Indian playwright Badal Sarkar's play. In the play the narrator interrogates some historical characters such as Einstein, the scientist who invented the theory on which atom bombs were later developed, Major Fereby, the pilot of the aircraft who dropped the bomb on Hiroshima, and Major Claude Itharby who carried the nuclear bomb to Nagasaki and later became insane on his realisation of the crime.

In addition he has packed some punches against contemporary brutal war activities by the American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. And through a replicated military exercise he has depicted the nuclear activities of the world's superpowers.

Zahid Ripon has directed the play.