Announcing the inaugural ceremony of the Notuner Utshab 2019, a press conference, hosted by the organisers Nagorik Natya Sampradaya, was held at the Conference Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA), yesterday. The event was presided by former Minister of Cultural Affairs, Asaduzzaman Noor, MP.

The seven-day long theatre fest, supported by Ministry of Culture, Unilever, Berger Paints and Dhaka Bank Limited, will begin on November 29, with an inaugural ceremony at the national Theatre hall, BSA, at 5 pm. State Minister of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, K M Khalid, MP will attend the event as the chief guest. Veteran artiste Ramendu Majumder, Mamunur Rashid, Chief Editor of Aranyak Natyadal, Nasiruddin Yousuff, President of Dhaka Theatre, and Liaquat Ali Lucky, Director General of BSA will attend the event as special guests. Sara Zaker, Vice President of Nagorik Natya Sampradaya, along with the General Secretary of the troupe, Ataur Rahman will deliver the welcome speeches.

During the festival, seven plays will be premiered at 7 pm every day, at the National Theatre Hall, BSA. The festival will begin with Pantho Shahrear's Kalo Goler Kabbo, an adaptation of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, casting Asaduzzaman Noor as Shylock. This will be followed by Shamim Shagor's Radharomon on the second day. The third day will showcase Akashey Phuitese Phul-Letokahon, a drama directed by Dr Roton Siddique and Hridi Huq. An adaptation of Tagore's Aruproton, directed by Saidur Rahman Lipon, will be staged on the fourth day. Kazi Toufiqul Islam Emon's Khwabnama, inspired by Akhteruzzaman Elias's novel of the same name, will be presented on the fifth day. O Monpahia, scripted and directed by Shubasish Sinha, will be staged on the sixth day.

The festival will conclude with Mostafiz Shahin's Lottery, featuring visually impaired actors on stage, with Sara Zaker as its dramaturge.