The two-day 'Nazrul Festival 2024' is starting tomorrow at the capital's Gulshan Society Lake Park. The festival, organized by Bangladesh Nazrul Sangeet Sangstha, Gulshan Society and the Indira Gandhi Cultural Center of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, will be inaugurated by Social Welfare Minister Dr. Dipu Moni. This is the third time this festival is being held.
About fifty artists from Bangladesh and India will perform songs in the event, the organizers announced at a press conference at the Sagar-Runi Auditorium of Dhaka Reporters Unity at 11:30 am on Wednesday.
Khairul Anam Shakil, general secretary of Nazrul Sangeet Sangstha and convener of the festival celebration committee, read out a written speech at the conference. Gulshan Society President Omar Sadat, festival coordinator Hitanshu Chakraborty, Kalpana Anam, Nazrul Sangeet Sangstha organizing secretary Mahmudul Hasan, among others, spoke at the event.
The press conference informed that the festival will feature songs, recitations and dances by national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. Leading Nazrul music artists of Bangladesh including Khairul Anam Shakil, Yasmin Mushtari, Nasheed Kamal, Ferdous Ara will perform.
Monomoy Bhattacharya, Raghav Chatterjee, Pandit Tushar Dutt, Sriradha Banerjee, Payel Kar, Debarati Chakraborty will come to sing from India. In addition, many other famous artists from all over Bangladesh will also sing at this event.
Like every year, 125 Nazrul songs sung in pure tunes and lyrics will be officially released on YouTube during the festival. These songs, recorded with professional instruments, have been sung by vocalists from Bangladesh and West Bengal as well as North America and Australia.
Festival committee convener Khairul Anam Shakil said, "It is the demand of the hour to present the entire works of our national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam to the general public in a pure manner. We have been organizing 'Nazrul Utsab' every year to introduce the wider public to the ongoing activities we have undertaken to propagate Nazrul music in pure tunes and words. Our aim is to spread and develop the ideals and non-communal spirit of our beloved poet among the new generation through this festival."
He further said, "Various efforts are ongoing to prevent the distortion of Nazrul's songs. This mission has not been completely successful. But our efforts will continue. This festival will inspire the new generation of children. They will be able to know our national poet Nazrul Islam better. Everyone will know his philosophy of life, what he was like as a person, and what contribution he made to music."
Shanta Holdings is the title sponsor of the festival. M Habibul Basit, CEO of the company, said, "We are very happy to support such a good initiative. It is the responsibility of all of us to protect the literature and music of our national poet. Therefore, as a construction company, Shanta Holdings attaches great importance to its responsibility towards social welfare and cultural development."
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