'Munier Choudhury Theatre Space' inaugurated

Professor Kabir Chowdhury delivers a speech at the inaugural ceremony

Mirpur Sanskritik Oikya Parisad (MSOP), a forum of the cultural organisations of Mirpur, in collaboration with CAT is the organiser of the event.

Professor Kabir Choudhury inaugurated the theatre venue. After the welcome speech delivered by Sagir Mostafiz, the general secretary of MSOP, Dr Kazi Faruk Ahmed, Kamaluddin Nilu, Liaquat Ali Lucky, Asif Munier, Kazi Rosy and others delivered speeches.

The discussants focused on the urgent need for a venue to hold cultural programmes at the Mirpur area. They said that after the closure of the Mirpur Town Hall, the cultural activists of the area had faced the shortfall of a venue. The newly established 'Munier Choudhury Theatre Space', they said, would help to minimise the crisis and become a popular venue in Dhaka. They also called for the immediate re-establishment of Mirpur Town Hall, which had been converted into a super market.

Kamaluddin Nilu, general secretary of CAT, said, "We have been staging theatre for a few months at this venue. I believe it will help decentralise the cultural activities of Dhaka as well as boost the cultural activities of Mirpur.

"As playwright-director, Shaheed Munier Choudhury, was buried at Mirpur, we have named the venue as 'Munier Choudhury Theatre Space'."

A rally followed the inauguration ceremony. The main attraction of the opening day of the three-day cultural programme was jatra pala Sirajuddaulah, performed by Desh Opera.

The other events included in the cultural programme are movie screening, gono sangeet, street theatre, recitation and staging of two plays-- Sonai Bibir Pala, a CAT production and Umme Kulsum, a Mukta Mancha Theatre production.