Selim Al Deen’s 70th birth anniversary obsereved

Cultural Correspondent
The 70th birth anniversary of Natyacharya Selim Al Deen was observed with due respect yesterday.
The Department of Drama and Dramatics of Jahangirnagar University (JU) chalked out a programme to celebrate the anniversary on JU premises.
Pro-vice chancellor (education) of Jahangirnagar University, Prof Nurul Alam on behalf of JU placed floral wreaths at the playwright’s grave on JU premises.
Then, Department of Drama and Dramatics, Bangladesh Gram Theatre, Dhaka Theatre, JU Theatre, Swapnodal, Desh Bangla Natyadal, Selim Al Deen Foundation, Bunon Theatre and Jagoroni Theatre, among other organizations placed floral wreaths at the playwright’s grave.
Earlier, a rally was brought out at Drama and Dramatics department of JU. Selim Al Deen’s fellow artistes Nasiruddin Yusuff Bachchu, Faculty of Arts & Humanities dean Professor Dr. Md. Mozammel Hoque, among others attended the rally.
A seminar on was held at Zahir Raihan auditorium of JU, where Dr Jamil Ahmed presented the keynote speech. Presided over by professor Afsar Ahmed, noted cultural personality Nasiruddin Yousuff and Prof Lutfur Rahman were present as discussants at the seminar.
The programme came to an end by the screening of a documentary ‘Manusher Natak, Natoker Manush’.
Born on August 18, 1949 in Feni, Selim Al Deen, known as ‘Natyacharya’, joined Jahangirnagar University in 1974 as a faculty in Bangla Department and later on, became the founder chairperson of the Department of Drama and Dramatics of the university.
‘Shop Bishoyok Golpo’ (Story about Snakes), his first play in the theatre, was staged in 1972. Dhaka Theatre was founded by him in 1973. Dhaka Theatre, the leading theatre group of the country, plays a pivotal role towards progressive drama movement and staged almost all of Selim Al Deen’s plays. His plays like ‘Kittonkhola’, ‘Bashon’, ‘Atotai’, ‘Saifulmulk Badiuzzaman’, ‘Keramat Mangal’, ‘Haat Hodai’, ‘Chaka’, ‘Joiboti Koinnar Mon’, ‘Hargaj’, ‘Muntaserer Fantasy’, ‘Nimojjan’ and others enhanced the quality of the local theatre. He passed away on January 14 in 2008.
To note, earlier on August 5 and 6, theatre troupe Swapnadal celebrated the occasion through a two-day festival titled ‘Selim Al Deen Janmautsab’ on the premises of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) in the capital’s Segun Bagicha area.