A troupe stages a play on the concluding day of the festival organised by Bangladesh Manabdhikar Natya Parisad at the Rabindra Sarobar on Sunday. — Snigdha Zaman

The three-day theatre festival titled ‘6th Manabdhikar Natya Utsab 2012’, featuring plays on human rights issues, ended on Sunday at the Rabindrasarobar at Dhanmondi.
Besides staging plays, the festival, organised by Bangladesh Manabdhikar Natya Parisad, featured a discussion session and honouring ceremony on the concluding day.
Eminent language heroes were honoured at the programme. Rights activist Sultana Kamal and executing director of the parisad Kamal Lohani handed over crests and flowers to educationist Halima Khatun, litterateur Ahmed Rafique and cultural personality Nasiruddin Yusuff. Halima Khatun and Ahmed Rafique are also language heroes.
The award giving ceremony was followed by a discussion session presided over by Kamal Lohani. The speakers called upon everyone, especially youngsters, to come forward and work hard for a prosperous Bangladesh with the spirit of the war of independence in their hearts.
Artistes of the pantomime division of Swapnadal presented a mime piece called ‘Swadhinatar Sangram’, planned and directed by Zahid Ripon. The play upheld the spirit of the Independence War. Yes Theatre protested against ongoing corruption by political leaders through staging their play ‘Batpar Darpan’, written and directed by Jewel Kabir Ahash. Pidim Theatres play ‘Kothar Kotha’, written and directed by Akhtar Hossain, also deals with the irregularities and anomalies in society. The miseries of homeless people were depicted through Universal Theatre’s play ‘Udbasta’, written and directed by Riad. 
The festival, which began with the slogan ‘Katar pathe adhar raate abar jatra kori’, was inaugurated by theatre personality Mamunur Rashid on Friday. About twenty theatre troupes from across the country performed at the festival.