** To announce the Ganga-Jamuna Sanskritik Uthsab 2019, a press conference was held at the Academic Conference Hall at Bangladesh Shikpakala Academy (BSA), in the capital, yesterday. The ten day-long festival will start with an inaugural ceremony on October 11 at 6 pm, and conclude on October 20.

The cultural event will be inaugurated by actor extraordinaire and Minister of Cultural Affairs, Asaduzzaman Noor, and renowned theatre personality Meghnad Bhattacharya. KM Khalid, incumbent State Minister of Cultural Affairs, will be present at the inaugural ceremony as the chief guest.

Liaquat Ali Lucky, Director General, BSA, Dr Nipa Chowdhury, Director of Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre, Mannan Hira, President of Bangladesh Pathanatak Parishad and Kamal Bayezid, Secretary General of Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation, will also be in

attendance as special guests, among others. Golam Kuddus, Convener of Festival Organising Committee will preside over the inaugural ceremony.

Over 3000 artistes from 121 organisations will participate in the event. 36 theatre troupes from Bangladesh and 4 theatre troupes from India will stage 40 different plays at the National Theatre Hall, Experimental Theater Hall and the Studio Theatre Hall during the festival. 19 musical ensembles, 15 recitations, 12 street

drama groups, 7 dance troupes, 3 mime-act groups and 10 children artiste groups, along with other solo performers, will also perform different cultural acts at the event.

Ganga-Jamuna Sanskritik Uthsab 2019 aims at establishing a harmonious relationship between India and Bangladesh through a cultural programme, where audiences from both the nations can come together to experience theatres, poetry recitals, music and dance performances.