On November 2, an unexpected disturbance at the National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) resulted in the sudden discontinuation of the play "Nityapurana." A group of protesters gathered outside the venue, leading Shilpakala Academy Director General Syed Jamil Ahmed to halt the performance to ensure the safety of the audience and the premises.

While the play had started on time, the demonstrators resumed their protest outside the gates shortly afterwards. To prevent any escalation, Syed, in consultation with Desh Natok, the theatre troupe helming the play, decided to call off the show. He explained this decision in a virtual press conference on Monday morning.

The abrupt cancellation of the performance has ignited widespread public debate, with the decision facing considerable backlash on social media. Many are questioning the academy's actions, and some are even demanding Syed Jamil Ahmed's resignation.

Theatre activists rally against cultural repression

In response to the growing challenges to artistic expression, a group of theatre activists gathered outside Shilpakala Academy's main gate on Monday (November 4) afternoon. Under the banner of "Bikkhubdo Theatrekormi" (Protesting Theatre Activists), they held a demonstration against what they termed as a "deliberate conspiracy" to suppress culture.
Prominent figures such as actor Azad Abul Kalam; director Mohammad Ali Haider of BotTala; Kamal Uddin Kabir, a theatre studies lecturer at Jagannath University; director and educator Samina Lutfa Nitra; lighting designer Nasirul Haque Khokon from Nagorik Natya Sampradaya; playwright Masum Reza; and Saidur Rahman Lipon, a teacher and director from Rabindra University, were among the speakers. Actor Mahmud also joined the protest.

A 'dangerous precedent' in the history of Bangladesh theatre

Speakers at the rally condemned the suspension of "Nityapurana", calling it a dark chapter in Bangladesh's theatre history. They expressed concern that this action has alarmed artistes and citizens nationwide.
"Theatre is a collaborative art form, where individuals of different political beliefs and ideals coexist," they pointed out. "Such diversity and tolerance are the very strengths of theatre, and political views shouldn't be considered a barrier to art. It's dangerous when individual opinions are used to discredit entire groups, as we've seen in the past."

The activists stressed that the practice of holding a theatre troupe accountable for the personal views of one of its members mirrors authoritarian tendencies. They recalled instances where entire political parties were labelled as traitorous because of a member's Facebook post, leading to widespread harassment. "In a new Bangladesh, such practices have no place," they said.

Demands for immediate reinstatement of the play

The protest concluded with several key demands. These included the immediate resumption of the halted "Nityapurana" performance within seven days, opening Shilpakala Academy to ordinary theatre artistes, audiences, and citizens, reducing bureaucratic influence on the institution's operations, and ensuring fairness in the allocation of performance slots to theatre troupes by eliminating favouritism.
The speakers emphasised that halting or calling for the cancellation of plays is unacceptable under any circumstances.

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