BRAC Hope Festival started Thursday at the Bangladesh Army Stadium in the capital.

The three-day festival is the epilogue to yearlong observances, marking 50 years of BRAC.

The first day of the Hope Festival embodied the theme "A Tribute to Bangladesh."

The festival opened at 11 am, welcoming thousands of participants showcasing BRAC's ecosystem of development, social enterprises, investments, university, and other initiatives in Bangladesh and abroad.

The festival grounds were adorned with exhibitions, pavilions, stalls, and workshops with diverse cultural motifs depicting BRAC's ecosystem. All the spaces and setups were open to the audience, with a special kids' play zone for children.

Cultural festivities on the stage began with puthi path performance by renowned actor Fazlur Rahman Babu and his group. Bengal Parampara Sangeetalay performed the Raga classical music.

Throughout the festival, different presentations and performances celebrated the tenacity and courage of women to overcome adversity and emerge triumphant in life.

Theatre group Prachyanat staged a creative rendition titled "Protidiner Joddha," based on the life of Dr Afsana Akter, who overcame all her family and social hurdles to become a successful gynaecologist. Afsana was also present on the stage, sharing her story with the audience.

Events of the day concluded with performances by Arnob and Friends and Lalon Band.

The "Power of Potential" will be the theme of the second day of the festival.

Special performances will be staged to highlight "Shomotontro," a movement for gender equality. Dance drama by the Jatrik group and a fashion show by Aarong will also be part of the stage programmes.

Musical performances by renowned bands Renaissance, Feedback, Emon Chowdhury and Friends, Miftah Zaman and Girl Power Band will be part of the stage programmes.

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