A-nine day theatre festival, 'Prangone Mor Dui Banglar Natyamela 2019' began on Friday, December 6 at Bangladesh Shilapakala Academy (BSA)'s National Theatre Hall.

Prangone Mor, a renowned theatre troupe of Bangladesh is organising the eleventh edition theatre festival with the slogan 'Ami Banglay Bhalobashi, Ami Bangla-ke Bhalobashi'.

State minister of Cultural Affairs KM Khalid attended the inauguration as the chief guest while former state minister and renowned theatre activist Asaduzzaman Noor inaugurated the festival. Indian high commissioner to Dhaka Riva Ganguly Das, BSA director general and Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation chairman Liaquat Ali Lucky and secretary general Kamal Bayezid joined the inauguration ceremony as special guests while the event was presided by founder and director of Prangone Mor, actor-director Ananta Hira.

A total of nine plays - three from India's Kolkata, one from Delhi and five from Bangladesh is scheduled to be staged this year's Prangone Mor festival. The opening day was celebrated with Kolkata Praxis Theatre Group's play 'Art', directed by actor-director Gautam Sarkar.

Apart from 'Art', the two other plays from Kolkata are- 'Abritto' by Nandipat Theatre Group which was staged on 7 December and Rashikata Theater troupe's 'Jyanto Hamlet' on December 10. The festival will be concluded with the staging of 'Bismilla' by Green Room Theatre, Delhi.

The performances of Bangladeshi troupes started with the host troupe Prangone Mor's 'Hassanjaner Raja' on December 8. Prachyanat staged 'Pulsirat' on December 9, Biborton Jashore staged 'Koibarta-gatha' on December 11, Arnyak staged 'Moyur Shinghashon' on December 12 and Loko Natyadal (Shiddheshwari)'s 'Amra Tinjon', is scheduled to be staged on December 13.

The festival also features a discussion event on December 13, titled 'Theater Songkot - Dorshok na Bhalo Natok' with Hassan Shahriar as the keynote paper presenter, and Swapan Roy, Malloy Bhowmik, Ahmed Iqbal Haider, Ratan Siddiqui, Mohammad Ali Haider and Rahman Raju as the chief speakers and Ananto Hira as the convener.

In addition to that, the 'Prangonemor Natyajoddha Shohojoddha Shomanona 2019' will be presented to Mamunur Rashid's wife Gauhar Ara Choudhury, Ataur Rahman's wife Shahida Rahman and Liaquat Ali Lucky's wife Kristy Hafez at the same day.