Govt to expand Shilpakala Academy activities to more upazilas: Cultural Minister

The government will prioritise launching activities of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in upazilas where such programmes have not yet been introduced, Cultural Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury said on Monday.

“Where permanent infrastructure is unavailable, temporary cultural activities will be launched by using rooms in the offices of Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs),” he said during the question-answer session in the Jatiya Sangsad.

The minister expressed hope that Shilpakala Academy activities could begin in new upazilas within this year if suitable locations are identified with support from local members of parliament and upazila administrations.

He made the remarks while replying to a supplementary question from treasury bench lawmaker Md Mosharraf Hossain (Bogura-4).

Nitai said the government has taken an initiative to expand cultural, artistic and sports activities at educational institutions across the country to counter cultural degradation, obscenity and unhealthy cultural practices.

The programme will be implemented in phases from 19 July at primary schools, secondary schools, colleges and universities across the country, he said.

The minister said the current state of cultural degradation and unhealthy cultural trends was not created by the present government.

“When a country’s national capital fails to develop and a plunder-based economy takes root, different sectors of the state, including arts, culture, education and the judicial system, inevitably suffer,” he said.

He said those who accumulate wealth through plunder could influence every sphere of society, leaving institutions related to arts, culture, education and law in a weakened state.

“After assuming office, we have been working extensively to bring about positive changes in these sectors,” he added.

The minister said the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, along with information technology and tourism-related institutions, was working to engage young people in healthy cultural activities.

Cultural, artistic and sports programmes would gradually be introduced at all levels of educational institutions, starting with primary schools, he added.

Nitai said the government is committed to promoting arts and culture, giving equal importance to cultural development alongside economic progress.