Honouring the heroic struggles and sacrifices of our martyrs for our mother tongue Bangla, a fourteen-day theatre festival to mark the International Mother Language Day began in Sylhet on Monday.

Veteran theatre activist and freedom fighter Nizam Uddin Lashkar inaugurated the festival by lighting a lamp at the Mukto Prangon of Kabi Nazrul Auditorium.

With the slogan, Songlape Sonkolpe Thak Chetonar Ekush, Sammilito Natya Parishad Sylhet has organised the festival, in collaboration with Sylhet City Corporation.

The inauguration ceremony began with a one-minute silence for the lives affected and lost in the Chawk Bazar tragedy.

Fourteen theatre troupes of Sylhet are participating at the festival. Each group will perform a play every day.

In the first evening of the festival, Kothakoli Theatre staged Court Martial, written by SM Solaiman, and  adapted from a story by Swadesh Deepak. Aminul Islam Chowdhury Liton directed the play.

Nabashikha Natyadal staged Rawshan Jahan Rushni's play, Biranganar Boyan the following day.

It was directed by Khorshedul Alam.

Today, Natya Niketan will stage Bhumikanya written and directed by Champak Sarkar.

Based on mystic folk musician Radha Raman Datta's biography, Little Theatre Sylhet will stage Bhaibe Radharaman tomorrow.  The play is written and directed by Tanvir Nahid Khan.

Natyamancha Sylhet will stage Rangamala on March 1. The play is written and directed by Rajat Kanti Gupta.

On March 2, Theatre Sylhet will stage a theatrical production of Ernest Hemingway's Old Man and The Sea. It is translated and directed by Kamrul Haque.

Darpan Theatre will stage Badal Sarkar's Hattamalar Opare on March 3 and the play is directed by Nahid Parvez and Supriyo Deb.

Other troupes participating in the festival include,  Theatre Bangla, Spriha Theatre, Nandik Natyadal, Natyayan Sylhet, Nagarnat, Diganta Theatre and Natyalok Sylhet Surma. The festival will conclude on March 10.