Notre Dame University Bangladesh (NDUB) hosted Boishakhi Mela 1426 recently at their campus. The day started with a Mongol Shobhajatra, followed by a moment of silence for the tragic incidents in New Zealand and Sri Lanka.  Members of the NDUB family then hoisted the national flag and sung the national anthem.

Students began the cultural programme with the song Esho He Boishakh. Faculty members Sourav Palma and Tama Chowdhury Tuli accompanied them on the tabla and harmonium respectively.

After a series of musical and dance performances by the students, a Loko Sangeet concert was arranged, where  Eliza Putul entertained everyone with folk songs like  Tak Dum Tak Dum Bajai Bangladesher Dhol, Tomai Hridmazar E Rakhbo, and Chere de Nouka Ami Jabo Madina. Chisty Baul also charmed the audience with his melodious voice.

Photo: Courtesy

The students of the Department of English at NDUB staged William Shakespeare’s comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the evening.

The chief guest of the programme was Vice-Chancellor of NDUB Professor Dr Fr Patrick Daniel Gaffney, CSC. Registrar Fr Adam S. Pereira, CSC and Professor Tahmina Ahmed, the former chair of the Department of English, University of Dhaka (DU), were present as the special guests.

The direction of the drama was done by former students of the Department of Theater and Performance Studies of DU, Md Abdur Razzak and Shongkar Kumar Biswas.

The set was designed by Shongkar Kumar Biswas, Shamim Miah, Md Abdur Razzak, light was designed by Shongkar Kumar Biswas, music was done by Md Abdur Razzak, and Syeda Taslima Nodi did the costume and make-up. It was the first staging of a Shakespearean play in the history of NDUB.