Mugdho Mancha
It was built at Botomool which is situated at the western end of Rabindra Sarani in Sector 7 and was named as Language Warrior Poet Mahbub Ul Alam Chowdhury Mancha in memory of Bengali Language Movement activist Mahbub Ul Alam Choudhury while organizing street drama in 2016.
The Dhaka North City Corporation later assured to construct a stage structure at the site following the demands of Gitanjali Lalitkala Academy founder director Mahbub Amin Mithu. In 2022, the structure was inaugurated as the Bangabandhu Mukto Mancha in memory of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the first president of Bangladesh.
Later in 2024, it was renamed to the present name in memory of Mir Mahfuzur Rahman Mugdho, a student who died in July massacre.
History
In 2016, Gitanjali Lalitkala Academy organized a street theatre festival at the Botomool in Rabindra Sarani, Uttara, Dhaka, which was the first street theatre initiative organized in the area. At the time, the place where the street plays was staged was named in memory of Mahbub Ul Alam Choudhury, an activist of the Bengali language movement. Due to the lack of infrastructure in Uttara, cultural organizations had been demanding the construction of an outdoor venue structure to host events. In 2019, a book fair, discussion meeting and cultural festival were held at the same venue from March 17 to March 26. During the program, Mahbub Amin Mithu, founder of Gitanjali Lalitkala Academy, proposed the construction of a stage infrastructure at the place, and he was assured of its implementation with support. Nazrul researcher Rafiqul Islam advised to name the proposed stage structure after Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In 2020, Uttara's first cultural outdoor structure had started under the supervision of Dhaka North City Corporation. As of 2021, the construction was ongoing. On 19 March 2022, the outdoor stage, built for the purpose of hang out and organizing cultural events, was inaugurated. It was renamed to its current name in 2024 in memory of student Mir Mahfuzur Rahman Mugdho who was died in Azampur, Uttara during July massacre.
Activities and obervances
In 2015, a cultural program was organized on 17th and 18th December in Botomool on the occasion of Bangladesh's Victory Day. In 2018, on the occasion of the spring festival, a street theatre festival was organized on the stage under the initiative of Theater Angaan. In 23 March of the same year, an open short film festival was held at the Botomool under the initiative of the Dhaka Film Movement where 12 selected films were screened. Then in 8 November, theater personality Mamunur Rashid inaugurated the first Uttara Cultural Festival at the outdoor venue. On the occasion of the International Mother Language Day in 2020, the stars of the entertainment world took part in the art decoration painting organized by artist Liton Kar on the stage. In the same year, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gitanjali Lalitkala Academy conducted a relief distribution program at the stage. Dhaka North City Corporation then provided a hand washing basin, soap and water at the stage as part of a hand washing program to raise public awareness about the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, Uttara Cultural Society organized a cultural program on the occasion of the golden jubilee of Bangladesh's Victory Day. On the occasion of Bangladesh Genocide Remembrance Day and Bangladesh's Independence Day in 2022, Uttara Artists Association organized a cultural festival at the Mukto Mancha. After that, a cultural program was organized in the same year on the occasion of the Bengali New Year by the initiative of New Year Celebration Council in association with several organizations. On the occasion of the birthday of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 2023, Gitanjali Lalitkala Academy organized a day-long cultural program at Mukto Mancha. In the following year, his birthday was celebrated at the same venue. In August 3 of that year, a candllit vigil was held at Mukto Mancha to commemorate those killed during the quota reform movement. In 30 August and 1 September, Padmapuran, The Golden Wings of Watercocks, Ora 7 Jon and Santaao were screened on the venue to raise funds for the victims of the August 2024 floods. In the same year, the site is selected for Durga Puja for 2024.
References
- ^ উত্তরায় পথনাট্যোৎসব শুরু [Street theatre festival begins in Uttara]. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 13 February 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ উত্তরায় প্রতিষ্ঠিত হচ্ছে বঙ্গবন্ধু মুক্তমঞ্চ! [Bangabandhu Mukto Mancha is being established in Uttara!]. Janakantha (in Bengali). 16 May 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ গীতাঞ্জলির ব্যতিক্রমী উদ্যোগ [Gitanjali's exceptional initiative]. Janakantha (in Bengali). 1 April 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ উত্তরায় 'বঙ্গবন্ধু মুক্তমঞ্চ' তৈরি করবে ডিএনসিসি [DNCC will build 'Bangabandhu Mukto Mancha' in Uttara]. Bangla Tribune (in Bengali). 22 March 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ জোড়, বিজোড় নম্বরের গাড়ি আলাদা দিনে চললে যানজট কমবে, বললেন মেয়র আতিক [Traffic congestion will be reduced if even and odd numbered cars run on separate days, said Mayor Atiq]. The Financial Express (in Bengali). 20 March 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ Parvez, Masud (14 August 2024). উত্তরায় মুগ্ধ মঞ্চ [Mugdho Mancha in Uttara]. Daily Inqilab (in Bengali). Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ হেমন্ত সন্ধ্যায় ছায়ানটে পঞ্চভাস্করের সঙ্গীত ও নৃত্য- মুগ্ধ দর্শকশ্রোতা [Music and dance of Panchabhaskar in Chayanat in evening in Hemanta - enthralled audience]. Janakantha (in Bengali). 13 December 2015. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ ছায়ানটের বসন্তবরণ [Welcoming Spring by Chayanat]. Kaler Kantho (in Bengali). 24 February 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ দুটি শাখায় পুরস্কৃত 'জল ও পানি' ['Jal and Pani' awarded in two categories]. Ekushey Television (in Bengali). 26 March 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ উত্তরায় ৩ দিনব্যাপী সাংস্কৃতিক উৎসব অনুষ্ঠিত [A 3-day long cultural festival was held in Uttara]. Banglanews24.com (in Bengali). 11 November 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ একুশের আলপনা আঁকলেন শিল্পীরা (ফটো অ্যালবাম) [Artists draw Ekushey's art decorations (Photo Album)]. Bangla Tribune (in Bengali). 21 February 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ Shafiq, Shahed (19 May 2020). কাজে আসেনি ডিএনসিসির সেই হাত ধোয়ার বেসিন! [DNCC's hand washing basin did not work!]. Bangla Tribune (in Bengali). Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ নেতৃত্বের দুর্বলতায় ৫০ বছরেও মুক্তিযুদ্ধের চেতনা বাস্তবায়ন হয়নি: জি এম কাদের [Due to the weakness of the leadership, the spirit of the liberation war has not been implemented even in 50 years: GM Quader]. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 16 December 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ Kundu, Apurba Kumar (17 April 2022). উত্তরায় আলো ছড়াচ্ছে বঙ্গবন্ধু মুক্তমঞ্চ [Bangabandhu Mukto Mancha is spreading light in Uttara]. Amader Shomoy (in Bengali). Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ Raihan, Iftekhar (15 April 2022). উত্তরায় এক মঞ্চে নানা সংগঠনের বর্ষবরণ [The annual celebration of various organizations on one stage in Uttara]. NewsBangla24.com (in Bengali). Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ ছুটির দিন কাটুক সুরে-সংলাপে: রাজধানীতে আজ কোথায়, কী আয়োজন [Spend the holidays in harmony and dialogue: where and what are the events in the capital today]. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 17 March 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ Mondal, Nazmul Islam (17 March 2024). উত্তরায় বঙ্গবন্ধুর জন্মবার্ষিকী উদযাপন করলেন খসরু চৌধুরী এমপি [MP Khosru Chowdhury celebrated Bangabandhu's birth anniversary in Uttara]. Amar Shomoy (in Bengali). Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ উত্তরায় সন্তানের নিরাপত্তাহীনতায় উদ্বিগ্ন অভিভাবকবৃন্দের শোক সমাবেশ [Mourning rally of parents worried about child's insecurity in Uttara]. Mukti Online (in Bengali). 4 August 2024. Archived from the original on 10 September 2024. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ বন্যার্তদের সহায়তায় উত্তরার প্রদর্শনীতে চার সিনেমা [Four movies to be screened in Uttara in aid of flood victims]. Bdnews24.com (in Bengali). 30 August 2024. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ উত্তরায় মুগ্ধ মঞ্চে দুর্গাপূজার আয়োজন [Durga Puja to be held at Mugdho Mancha in Uttara]. Kalbela (in Bengali). 26 September 2024. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
Further reading
- Rahman, Pavel (7 November 2022). যত বড় হচ্ছে ঢাকা, তত ছোট হচ্ছে নাটক পাড়া-সিনেমা পাড়া [The bigger Dhaka is, the smaller the Theatre-Cinema neighbourhood is]. Bdnews24.com (in Bengali).