The Bangladesh government has appointed a new Director General and four directors of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) to strengthen the country’s cultural practice and promotion at home and abroad with a new vision. The newly formed management structure will restructure the academy to meet the needs of the modern era. These include nurturing local talent through effective online and offline training, adopting new strategies with the help of domestic and foreign experts and educational institutions, planning to present Bangladesh’s cultural assets in a global context, celebrating the country’s cultural icons and unique important events at the national and international levels, and setting clear goals for the next one year in the fields of music, drama, film, dance, art, photography and new media.
The academy will take initiatives to open new departments, which will include important branches of art practice. In addition, plans will be taken to restructure the Asian Art Biennale and organize international-standard film, drama, music and dance festivals separately. This vision will further strengthen the inclusive cultural trend of post-July Bangladesh, where no religious or ethnic identity will be considered neglected or deprived.
Renowned poet, writer and television personality Rezauddin Stalin has taken charge as the newly appointed Director General. He is one of the most notable poets of the eighties; the author of 45 poetry books and the recipient of the Bangla Academy Literary Award in 2006. The Director of the Training Department is Shaheen Dil-Riyaz, a Bangladeshi filmmaker based in Europe and Asia, who has long been involved in filmmaking and educational activities internationally.
Brand and media expert Daniel Afzalur Rahman has taken charge as the Director of the Production Department. He has played a leading role in establishing and managing the country’s top FM radio stations and is one of the pioneers of the golden age of contemporary Bengali music. Salma Jamal Mousham, who has experience working on international art projects and researches on community-based art, collaborative practices and art-based social movements, has been appointed as the Director of the Research and Publication Department.
Deepak Kumar Goswami, a theatre and film actor, voice-dubbing artist and director, has been appointed as the director of the theatre and film department. He is the head of the Tirandaj Repertory Theatre Group and his documentary was recently screened at the UK House of Commons and SOAS University in London.
The new leadership is expected to work to maintain and establish Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy as a hub for artists, cultural workers and creative talents.
