A total of 101 theatre professionals have called for the reinstatement of government subsidies for staging plays at the Dr. Nilima Ibrahim Auditorium of Bangladesh Mahila Samity, located on Natak Sarani in Bailey Road, Dhaka.
They said the suspension of subsidies from the Ministry of Cultural Affairs has more than doubled the cost of staging productions at the venue. As a result, theatre groups are facing mounting financial pressure, while interest in staging plays at the historic auditorium has declined.
In a statement issued on Sunday, October 25, the signatories urged the government to restore financial support promptly to protect the country’s theatrical heritage and ensure the continued growth of theatre practice.
According to the statement, theatre groups previously paid Tk 5,000 for a single performance shift at the Mahila Samity auditorium. Since January, however, the charge has increased to Tk 11,500 per shift following the withdrawal of the ministry’s subsidy.
The increased costs have placed theatre practitioners under considerable financial strain. The signatories noted that ticket sales alone often fail to cover the expenses of staging a production, making it increasingly difficult for theatre groups to sustain regular performances.
They stressed that the Ministry of Cultural Affairs must take effective and timely measures to restore the subsidy and support the creative development of theatre across the country.
A Historic Venue for Bangladeshi Theatre
The statement highlighted the historical significance of the Mahila Samity stage, noting that the culture of watching plays by purchasing tickets in Bangladesh began at this venue in 1973.
The road became officially known as Natak Sarani on August 26, 2005, when then Dhaka mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka formally gave it the name. Over the years, the area has become closely associated with the country’s theatre movement.
The Mahila Samity auditorium has played an important role in the development of performing arts in independent Bangladesh. However, rising rental costs have discouraged some theatre groups from staging productions there, raising concerns about the future of theatrical activity at this historic venue.
Subsidy Suspended in the 2025–26 Fiscal Year
According to the statement, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs began providing special allocations for this purpose in June 2017. In the 2024–25 fiscal year, the latest allocation amounted to Tk 1.1 million.
No allocation was made for the same purpose in the 2025–26 fiscal year, the signatories said.
An application has already been submitted to the ministry seeking government assistance for staging plays at the Dr. Nilima Ibrahim Auditorium during the 2026–27 fiscal year.
The application requests Tk 1.43 million to support 20 performances per month over an 11-month period, with a proposed subsidy of Tk 6,500 per performance.
Two Key Demands
The 101 theatre professionals outlined two specific demands in their statement:
- Immediate restoration of the subsidy: Reinstate the requested Tk 1.43 million allocation to support 20 theatrical performances per month over 11 months at the Mahila Samity auditorium.
- Increased and regular funding: Raise the overall amount of financial assistance available for theatre productions and ensure that allocations are made regularly to ease the financial burden on theatre groups.
The statement was signed on behalf of the signatories by Apu Mehedi, executive editor of Khyapa, a theatre publication.
Leading Theatre Professionals Among the Signatories
The statement was endorsed by prominent theatre directors, actors, playwrights, educators, researchers and cultural figures, including Syed Jamil Ahmed, Sara Zaker, Professor Abdus Selim, Kamal Hossain, Masum Reza, Mamunur Rashid, Mohammad Ali Haider, Kamaluddin Kabir, Ramendu Majumdar, Alok Basu, Yusuf Hasan Arko and Ferdousi Majumdar.
Other signatories include Harun Rashid, Thandu Raihan, Ratan Siddiqui, Ahmed Iqbal Haider, Shamima Shawkat Lovely, Trapa Majumder, Shamim Zaman, Akhtaruzzaman, Kamrul Hasan, Saiful Journal, Fazlur Rahman Babu, Jyoti Sinha, Ananta Hira, Jayita Mahalanobis, Bakar Bakul, Wasim Ahmed, Shubhashish Sinha and Shubhashish Dutta Tanmoy.
The list also includes Tosaddek Hossain Manna, Kazi Rukhsana Ruma, Kazi Rakib, Abu Azad, Ashikur Rahman Leon, Rubaiyat Ahmed, Nahid Smriti, Shamim Sagar, Apon Ahsan, Malay Bhowmik, Ruma Modak, Shahzada Samrat Chowdhury, Mohsina Akter, Samiun Jahan Dola, Charu Pintu, Mahfuz Sumon, Nuna Afroz, Shatabdi Wadud and Mir Zahid Hasan.
Among the remaining signatories are Mamun Reza Syed, Habib Zakaria Ullash, Pavel Rahman, Zahid Ripon, Bhaswar Bandyopadhyay, Naznin Hasan Chumki, Toufiqul Islam Emon, Jagannmoy Pal, Parvin Paru, Sohel Mondol, Catherine Purification, Shahidul Mamun, Dr. Babul Biswas, Anon Zaman, Golam Shahriar Sikto, Azad Abul Kalam, Rozi Siddiqui, Shahed Ali, Khorshedul Alam, Professor Shafi Ahmed, Arif Haider, Saidur Rahman Lipon, Mohammad Bari, Maruf Kabir and Shahiduzzaman Selim.
The statement was also signed by Khandaker Rakibul Haque, M. S. Rana, Saif Sumon, Subir Mahajan, Asim Das, Tamanna Haque Sigma, Samina Luthfa, Reza Arif, Rahman Raju, Tanvir Nahid Khan, Shamima Akter Mukta, Kazi Naushaba Ahmed, Aminur Rahman Mukul, Amlan Biswas, Mazharul Islam Tokdar, Mustafiz Shaheen, Kuntal Barua, Shahnaz Jahan, Shakhawat Hossain Shimul, Sajjad Sabbir, Sharan Ehsan and Faruk Ahmed.
The signatories expressed hope that the Ministry of Cultural Affairs would respond to their appeal with concrete measures to safeguard Bangladesh’s theatrical heritage and ensure that theatre groups can continue staging productions at the historic Mahila Samity auditorium.
