Curtain rises on 43rd Jatiya Rabindra Sangeet Sammelan

Dhaka, 24 Jan - The 43rd edition of the Jatiya Rabindra Sangeet Sammelan (National Rabindra Sangeet Conference) began on Thursday.

It is organised by the Jatiya Rabindra Sangeet Sammilan Parishad and is being held at the Chhayanaut auditorium in Dhaka's Dhanmondi.

The three-day conference, scheduled to be continued till January 25, is being joined by more than five hundred artists, cultural activists, and organisers from different regions of the country.

Eminent Rabindra exponent Fahmida Khatun inaugurated the conference, and the president of the inaugural session, Dr Sarwar Ali, acknowledged her graceful presence with floral greetings.

The three-day conference festivity began with the song “Ei Kotha ta Dhore Rakhish.” After the song, Dr Sarwar Ali delivered the President's speech, stating, "There was a crisis of artists here as many talented artists left for India after the partition—then talented artists like Fahmida Khatun and Zahidur Rahim played a special role in spreading the practice of Rabindra Sangeet across the country."

“Fahmida Khatun inaugurated this conference today, and this incident has created a special significance for this year’s conference," Dr Sarwar Ali said, while also emphasising the majestic literary works of Rabindranath and how they resonated with society and its people for ages.

Tania Mannan, secretary of the National Rabindra Sangeet Sammilan Parishad, delivered the welcome speech at the conference, informing that the recently deceased eminent Rabindra exponent, Papia Sarwar, will be honoured with Rabindra Padak at this year’s conference.

After the speeches, the event started moving forward—starting with the lyrical ballad 'Firey Chol Matir Taney.'. The lyrics of the ballad were penned by Santosh Dhali, and the music was directed by artist Bulbul Islam, and the ballad was recited by Bhaswar Banerjee and Trapa Mazumdar.

Nrityam Nrityashilana and Dhrithi Nartanalaya then showcased enthralling dance recitals, and after that, renowned Rabindra Sangeet artists including Rokaiya Hasina, Ashok Saha, Akalima Khatun, Shukla Pal, Ferdous Ara, Sushmita Ahmed, Prateek End, Partha Pratim Roy, Kallol Sengupta, Naima Islam, Mainul Islam, Anupam Basak, Pemana Roy, Irene Parveen, Asim Dutta, and Shrabani Mazumder performed solo songs. Alongside these solo performances, the Chandpur branch artists under the National Rabindra Sangeet Sammilan Parishad performed collective songs.

Eminent dance artist Munmun Ahmed also performed on the inaugural day, and renowned recitation artist Dalia Ahmed recited Tagore’s poem at the event.

More than 500 artists, cultural workers, and organisers from different parts of the country are participating in this year's 43rd National Rabindra Sangeet Conference. Activities of the second day of the conference started at 9:30 am on Friday, and several musical performances, dances, and recitals are scheduled to be held to enthral the Rabindra admirers.

A delegation meeting was held on Friday at 3 pm, and a seminar titled “Rabindranath in Bangladesh and Rabindranath's Bangladesh" will be held at 4 pm.

The activities of 'Zahidur Rahim Smriti Parishad' started in 1979 on the death anniversary of eminent Rabindra artist Zahidur Rahim. The name of the organisation was then changed to ‘Jatiya Rabindra Sangeet Sammilan Parishad’ with a mission to operate on a larger scale across the country, and as of now, the Sammilan Parishad has been operating nationwide with its 82 branches.

After its establishment, the first annual sessions were held only in the capital, Dhaka. To activate the branches, since 1984, conferences have been held in Dhaka for one year and in other districts the next year.

Open to all, the three-day conference will welcome Rabindra admirers till January 25 at Chhayanaut.