Mahmudul Hasan College from Tangail stages Aguner Chhaya on Friday.

College students from across the country are highly encouraged for getting chance to demonstrate their artistic caliber to the theatre enthusiasts at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.
The academy is now vibrant with enthusiastic presence of hundreds of college students, for many of whom it is the first ever performance at a national level festival.
One college from each of the 64 districts are participating with plays featuring the stories of the war of independence happened in the respective districts in 1971.
All these productions, funded by the government, have been produced targeting the ongoing 12-day National Theatre Festival, organised by Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation in association with Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation, which features over 100 productions on the war.
Delighted participating students highly appreciate the organisers for creating room for them to perform in Dhaka. They also believe that their experience will guide them to uphold the spirit of the war and boost them to be regular in theatre in future as well. Some of these students have expressed their feelings with New Age. 
Rajbari Government College student Mobarak claims his participation in the national theatre festival is one of the happiest moments in his life. He acted in Mukhomukhi staged on Tuesday at the National Music and Dance Centre of the academy.
‘We are very new in theatre and it is a great opportunity for us to participate in a national level festival,’ an excited participant Shahadat Hossain Rokon, a student of Govt Azizul College from Bogra, whose college staged Babur Pukurey Ganahotya, told New Age.
Many students are acting despite examinations are knocking on the doors. ‘Some of the participating students will have to sit for the third-year final examination soon, though they did not miss the opportunity,’ Mahbub, a student of BM College Barisal, who acted in Mukhosher Antoraley, told New Age.   
The troupes seemed pleased with the hospitability of the academy. Director of Ektai Chaowa AGM Kamal, who is also the team leader of Government Nazimuddin College from Madaripur, said, ‘It’s a great initiative. Such festival increases awareness of the war among the youngsters.’
Supplementing him, Lita, an artiste of the troupe, said, ‘We took preparation for the past seven months. Before coming here we staged a few shows of the production, which got tremendous response from the local audience.’
‘It would be really helpful if the academy had sent a technical hand to make us understand on the nature of the venues in Dhaka,’ she said.
In fact, many college troupes faced problems while staging plays in Dhaka. ‘The height of our set in a scene of the play Sector 11 Baghro Akraman was not suitable at the Studio Theatre Hall, where roof is not that high compared to the other venues of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy,’ Subhrata a student of Sherpur Government College said.
Despite some hassles, the amateur theatre activists, to whom theatre is nothing but a co curricular activity, believe they have been boosted and encouraged.
Directors of these plays, mostly activists of different theatre troupes, were also equally benefited. Fakir Ruman, director of Mukhomukhi, a Rajbari Government College production, informed that he was assigned by the district Shilpakala Academy. ‘This task will help nurture my skill. And the students are also getting chance to share experiences with a wider range of viewers.’
Eight colleges staged plays on war of independence on Friday. Government. City College from Chittagong, MR College from Panchagar, City College from Cox’s Bazar, Dinajpur Adarsha College, Chuadanga Government College, Mahmudul Hasan College from Tangail and Government Shahid Suhrawardy College from Magura respectively staged Swadhinata, Ekkaturer Andhokar, Dam Diye Kinechhi Bangla, Abirato, Nasto, Aguner Chhaya and Raktakto Samay at different venues of the academy. 
Moreover, Rangpur District Shilpakala Academy and Bangladesh Ballet Troupe staged Bgru Ansang and Bangladesher Muktijuddho respectively at Experimental Theatre Hall and National Theatre Hall.
Federation member Sanglap Group Theatre staged street theatre Manob Surat at the Experimental Theatre Hall.