Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Cancels Hall Allocation for Prangonemor Play at Last Minute

The Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy has cancelled, at the last minute, the allocation of the Experimental Theatre Hall at the National Theatre Hall for Prangonemor’s new play, Dewan Gazi’r Kissa, directed by Nuna Afroz. The decision has sparked frustration and questions within the theatre community.

Prangonemor had applied to book the Experimental Theatre Hall for the inaugural performances of the play on November 19 and 20. However, the hall allocation committee assigned the venue for November 18 instead. The theatre group completed the booking process by paying the required fee. But on November 9, the Shilpakala Academy informed the group by letter that the allocation had been cancelled.

The letter, signed by Government Zia Uddin Ahmed, deputy director of the Academy’s Theatre and Film Department, stated that the Shilpakala Academy would stage a play written by National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam on November 18. The event was being organised to mark Nazrul Year, and the hall allocation given to Prangonemor was therefore cancelled. However, the letter did not specify which play would be staged.

Ananta Hira, founder and chief of Prangonemor, questioned the Academy’s decision. He said the programme marking Nazrul Year should have been planned well in advance and asked why a venue allocation already granted to another theatre group in accordance with the rules had to be cancelled at the last moment.

“The schedule for the Nazrul Year programme should already have been with the Shilpakala Academy. Why should the allocation given to another theatre group be cancelled to hold this event? We secured the hall by following the proper procedures and paid the required fee,” Ananta Hira said.

According to the National Theatre Hall allocation policy, the Shilpakala Academy has the authority to cancel a hall booking at any time in special circumstances. However, Ananta Hira has called for a revision of the policy.

He said sudden cancellations after a group has followed the rules and paid the rental fee can cause financial losses. Such decisions could also negatively affect the gradually growing culture of audiences buying tickets to watch theatre productions.

Meanwhile, theatre publication Khyapa protested the Academy’s decision in an article published on November 11. The article questioned the rationale for cancelling a date after the hall allocation committee had finalised it. It also raised concerns about the effectiveness of the committee’s decisions if an allocation can be withdrawn at the last moment despite an application submitted a month in advance, formal approval and payment of the prescribed fee.

The article further argued that government programmes such as those marking Nazrul Year should not be arranged suddenly and require advance planning and coordination. It said that even though the policy allows cancellations, transparency and accountability are essential when exercising that authority.

The article also called on theatre groups to unite in protest and proposed suspending mainstream theatre productions at the National Theatre Hall for at least six months. It additionally demanded reforms to the Shilpakala Academy’s hall allocation process and safeguards for theatre groups after they have secured bookings in accordance with the rules.

Despite the cancellation, Prangonemor is not postponing its new production. The group has announced that Dewan Gazi’r Kissa will be staged on November 19 and 20 at the Dr Neelima Ibrahim Auditorium of Mohila Samity in Natak Sarani. The group is therefore preparing to present the new play to audiences on the originally scheduled dates.