101 theatre practitioners urge restoration of Mahila Samity subsidy

A group of 101 theatre artistes and practitioners has urged the Ministry of Cultural Affairs to restore government subsidies for staging plays at Bangladesh Mahila Samity’s Dr Nilima Ibrahim Auditorium, citing rising venue costs and mounting financial pressure on theatre groups.

In a joint statement issued on 25 October, the signatories called on the ministry to approve Mahila Samity’s requested allocation of 14.3 lakh taka for the 2026-27 fiscal year and increase financial support for theatre to ensure regular funding.

The signatories include Syed Jamil Ahmed, Sara Zaker, Mamunur Rashid, Ramendu Majumdar, Ferdousi Majumdar, Masum Reza, Tropa Majumdar, Fazlur Rahman Babu, Azad Abul Kalam and Samina Luthfa. Playwright Apu Mehedi, executive editor of the theatre magazine Khyapa, issued the statement on their behalf.

According to the statement, theatre groups have had to pay 11,500 tala per shift at the auditorium since January, up from 5,000 taka, following the withdrawal of the ministry’s subsidy. The higher costs have discouraged troupes from staging productions at the venue, while ticket sales often fail to cover production expenses.

“We believe government subsidies must be restored promptly to keep theatre practice alive on the Mahila Samity stage,” the statement said.

The signatories noted that special government allocations for the venue began in June 2017. The last allocation, amounting to 11 lakh taka, was made in the 2024-25 fiscal year, while no funding was allocated for 2025-26.

For the current 2026-27 fiscal year, Mahila Samity has sought 14.3 lakh taka, calculated at 6,500 taka per performance for 20 shows a month over 11 months.

The statement highlighted the auditorium’s historical significance, noting that Bangladesh’s ticketed theatre culture began there in 1973. On 26 August 2005, the road where the venue is located was formally named Natak Sarani by then Dhaka mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka.

“Government support for theatre in Bangladesh is already very limited. It is disappointing that even this modest support has been withdrawn,” the statement said.

The signatories urged the ministry to act promptly, arguing that maintaining the subsidy was part of the government’s responsibility to preserve the country’s theatrical heritage.