As part of Chhayanaut's yearlong programmes to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary (May 8, this year) of Rabindranath Tagore, a four-day event featuring plays and film screening will kick off today at Chhayanaut Shangskriti Bhaban in Dhanmondi, Dhaka. Programmes will also be held at the National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala academy (BSA), Dhaka.

With the title, “Rabindranath-er Haatey Haat Rekhey Bangladesh", the yearlong programme has been divided into seven phases focusing every aspect of Tagore's creations, including songs, plays, poetry and artworks, and are being held at different venues including Shilaidaha, Kushtia.

The sixth phase features films and plays — adaptations of Tagore's works.

Child artistes of Nalanda [Chhayanaut's school) will stage

the play "Daakghar" at Chhayanaut auditorium today at 6pm. The film "Kabuliwala" will also be screened today at the same venue.

The film "Otithi" and "Charulata” will be screened at 10:30am and 7pm tomorrow at Chhayanaut auditorium.

Dr. Syed Jamil Ahmed will deliver a lecture, titled ‘‘Bangladesh-e Rabindra Natyacharcha”, on March 5 at National Theatre Hall. Staging of "Bishorjon" by the artistes of Tirjok Natyadol, Chittagong will be held at the same venue.

The sixth phase will wrap up through screening of the film "Un Konya" at Chhayanaut auditorium on March 6 evening. Nagarik Natya Sampradaye will stage the play “Achalayatan” at National Theatre Hall the same evening. The yearlong celebration began on July 16 last year through a two-day Rabindra Festival at the National Theatre Hall. The second phase of the programme marked the 100th anniversary of

"Geetanjali" and was held on September 24 the same year at Chhayanaut Auditorium, while third instalment of the programme was "Bangladesh-e Rabindranath”. A two-day “Rabindra Nrityotshob” was the fourth phase of the programme that started on January 21 this year at Chhayanaut while the fifth phase was an exhibition featuring reproductions of 54 artworks by Rabindranath Tagore. Renowned Indian artist and art teacher KG Subramanian inaugurated the exhibition, also on January 21 this year, and delivered an in-depth lecture on "Rabindranath and His Artwork”.

The seventh and final phase will be held from May 7 to 9,2011 at the Shawkat Osman Auditorium, Central Public Library, Shahbagh. Apart from songs, dances and recitations, two lectures by Dr. Atiur Rahman and Abul Momen are parts ofthis phase.

Grameenphone is sponsoring the yearlong programme.