News Flash
DHAKA, Jan 14, 2026 (BSS) - Marking the 18th death anniversary of eminent playwright Selim Al Deen, a seminar was held today at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.
The seminar, titled "Bangalir Nondonsutro O Dwoita-Dwoitobadi Shilpatatwa", took place in the evening at the academy's conference room, hosted by its Drama and Film Department.
Associate Professor Dr Reza Mohammad Arif of the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies at Jahangirnagar University (JU) presented the keynote paper, with JU Professor Lutfur Rahman in the chair.
In his keynote speech, Dr Reza Mohammad emphasized the theory of "Dwoita-Dwoitobad" (dualism) developed by Selim Al Deen. He said the concept significantly highlighted the resurgence of indigenous culture while rejecting Western cultural dominance, as Al Deen firmly believed that local culture was rich and self-sufficient.
"Through his theory of dualism, Selim Al Deen attempted to revive long-standing traditional cultural forms," Dr Reza noted.
Chair of the discussion Professor Lutfur Rahman conducted the open discussion session and thanked the organizers and participants for their collective efforts to uphold and rejuvenate indigenous culture and arts.
Noted cultural personalities Zahid Ripon, Dipak Kumar Ghoswami, Rubaiyat Ahmed and Abu Sayeed Tulu, among others, spoke as discussants at the event.
Following the discussion, a drama titled 'Deyal', written by Selim Al Deen, was staged at the National Theatre Auditorium at 7:00 pm.
Two more performances of the drama have been scheduled for January 15 and 16, marking the playwright's death anniversary. Both shows will be staged at the same venue at 6:30 pm on the respective days.
Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka Theatre and Bangladesh Gram Theatre jointly organized the drama performances.
Selim Al Deen died on January 14, 2008. A renowned playwright and researcher, he played a significant role in shaping Bangladesh's theatre movement in the post-independence period.
