This January 14 marks the 17th death anniversary of the legendary dramatist,  Selim Al Deen. Had he been alive, he would have turned 75 last August. To commemorate Selim Al Deen and spread his legacy, the "Selim Al Deen Archive" is organising a four-day "Selim Al Deen Remembrance Festival and 75th Birth Anniversary" at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, starting today (January 10).

In post-colonial Bangla literature, the legendary dramatist, Natyacharya Selim Al Deen, a pioneer of modern Bangla theatre, is often credited with introducing a new dimension to the genre. He was also the visionary behind Bangladesh Gram Theatre. 

The festival will be inaugurated today at 4pm by Syed Jamil Ahmed, Director General of Shilpakala Academy, in the seminar hall. Following that, Zaharaby Ripon will present a paper titled "Selim Al Deen in Institutional Research and Evaluation" at 4:30pm. The session, presided over by Mohammad Azam, will feature Yusuf Hassan Ork and Kamrul Islam as discussants.

Tomorrow (January 11), at 4pm, Labanya Mondol will present a paper titled "Selim Al Deen Research: Trends and Prospects" in the Seminar Hall, with Hamim Kamrul Haque and Abu Sayed Tulu as discussants. The session will be chaired by Shahidul Mamun.

On January 12, at 4pm, Tariq Reza will deliver a paper titled "Selim Al Deen: His Poetry" in the Seminar Hall. Kudrat-E-Huda, Sohel Hasan Galib, and Rakib Likhan will serve as the discussants.

From 4pm to 9pm, an exhibition on Selim Al Deen's life and works will be held in the lobby of the Experimental Theatre Hall. At 7pm, the play "Dhaboman," directed by Anan Zaman, will be staged at the Experimental Theatre Hall.

On the closing day, January 13, Abu Sayed Tulu will present a paper titled "Selim Al Deen's Contribution to the Revival of National Culture" at 4pm in the Seminar Hall. Aniket Shamim, Islam Shafik, Asim Kumar Natta, and Samiun Jahan Dola will participate in the discussion. The exhibition on Selim Al Deen's life will continue in the Experimental Hall lobby, and at 7pm, the play "Dhaboman" will once again be staged at the Experimental Theatre Hall.

On January 14, the death anniversary of Selim Al Deen, a floral tribute will be offered at his grave on the Jahangirnagar University campus at 10am.

Additionally, popular theatre troupe Swapnadal will hold a three-day "Selim Al Deen Memorial Festival 2025" on January 14, 17, and 18 at Jahangirnagar University and the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy to mark his 17th death anniversary. 

The festival will feature two performances of Swapnadal's acclaimed production "Chitrangada", along with two shows of the audience-favorite Bengali mime adaptation of "Macbeth", both dedicated to Selim Al Deen. 

The festival will also include a memorial procession, a floral tribute at his grave, discussions on the maestro's life and philosophy, and a decorated installation of his portrait at the Shilpakala Academy premises. Both productions, directed by Selim Al Deen's student Zahid Repon, are renowned for their innovative staging.

Swapnadal's 31st festival in honour of Selim Al Deen will run under the slogan: "Bangla Natya Kotha Amritosoman, Selim Al Deen Kohey, Shune Punyoban."

On the first day of the festival, January 14, a memorial procession will begin at 10am from the Old Arts Building of Jahangirnagar University to his grave, where a floral tribute will be offered.

On January 17, at 5pm and 7pm, the 112th and 113th stagings of Rabindranath Tagore's poetic play "Chitrangada" will be performed at the Experimental Theatre Hall of BSA. The festival will be inaugurated by Mansur Ahmed Chowdhury, Chairperson of the Trustee Board of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB).

On the final day, January 18, at 5pm and 7pm, the 15th and 16th performances of the mime adaptation of "Macbeth" will be held at the Experimental Theatre Hall. This unique production, based on William Shakespeare's work, has been reimagined by Juena Shabnam. The closing address will be delivered by Professor Dr Rashid Harun from the Drama and Dramatics Department of Jahangirnagar University, a close collaborator of Selim Al Deen.

Director Zahid Repon shared, "On Selim Al Deen's advice, I staged 'Chitrangada' after his passing. He dedicated his life to researching and reconstructing Bangla theatre traditions, and to honour his memory, we produced the Bengali mime version of 'Macbeth'. These performances at the memorial festival are of great significance."