Blue lights focussed on the arms and kgs only, as the artiste stood silently on lh«i stage. The stage and the auditorium as well was dark as the evening crowd waited for the next move. The limbs of the man on Ihc stage began lo tell a story without any words. As the lights grew bright, the pantomime progressed, and the Guide House evening crowd were treated to a delightful evening of the art of silence.

Organised on the 29th January, by a humanitarian organisation calkd Friends of Bangladesh (which has Its parent soc iety in the UK), it was their first charity show in Bangladesh. The funds of the show will be utilised for the benefit of orphans, disabled, . hildrcn and distressed women

The items were tilled The Restless Boy, The Unhealthy Lifter. Wretched Voter, In Love, This is Life. Soccer Hooligan. Death and Theft.

The first piece was a serious one. but the show moved on to lighter comic pieces to the delight of Ihc audience.

Talking to Star, the performer Md. Zakir Hossain provided Insight into his art and commitment. A practising lawyer, he performs mime for personal Interest and satisfaction.

Asked as to how he manages to find lime out of his busy schedule to practice and perform, he replied, "It Is not easy lo combine law with mime, but If there is a will, there Is a way." An amateur, he thinks he should be able to perform even better.

Zakir Is inspired by pioneers of this field tn Bangladesh like Parlho Mojumdar. Kazi Moshhurul Huda and olhers.

As a performing art. mime has a bright luturc in Bangladesh, both from the point of view of its Interest among the viewers as well as people performing, he said.

Sadly enough, although there is so much interest and enthusiasm, the scope for its development is limited in our country. The main reason being absence of any facility for training of those Interested.

'There should be frequent workshops to train newcomers, as organisational training Is totally absent in our country. Those mostly interested arc young University students, both boys and girls", said Zakir. And they arc trying to learn this art at their own Interest and initiative. There Is a need for professional training. Informed the promising mime.