The 4th edition of ‘Heritage Handloom Festival 2022’ will begin on Wednesday at Gulshan Shooting Club in the capital. SME Foundation has organised the 4-day fair in collaboration with the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and Association of Fashion Designers Bangladesh (AFDB). A press conference on the occasion was held  at SME Foundation office  in Agargaon on Tuesday. Read 8th Dhaka International Mobile Film Festival begins Dr. Md. Mofizur Rahman, managing director of SME Foundation, Mantasha Ahmed, President of AFDB,  spoke at the press conference highlighting various aspects of the festival. Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury will inaugurate the festival as the chief guest. Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun will be present as the special guest. Read Swayong's Storytelling Festival 2022 deconstructs social norms, taboos State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid and Parliamentary Standing Committee Chairman on Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry Waseqa Ayesha Khan will also be present in the opening ceremony of the festival.

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal proposed allocating Tk 587 crore for the cultural affairs ministry on Thursday, as part of his announcement of the fiscal 2021-22 budget. The allocation is Tk 8 crore more than the elapsing budget for fiscal 2020-21. The amount is 0.098 per cent of the proposed deficit national budget of Tk 6,03,681 crore. Also read: New budget unveiled with focus on protecting lives and livelihoods However, cultural activists expressed disappointment over the total allocation, saying that the amount needs to be at least 1 percent of the total budget. "More than 500 theatre organizations under our Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation believe that more money should have been allocated to the Ministry of Cultural Affairs as we, the cultural activists, have constantly been fighting against all odds, upholding the spirit of our glorious Liberation War," Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation said in a press statement. Also read: New budget: Tracking prices going up and down "We urge the government not to push the nation backwards by demotivating the cultural sector with this allocation, rather it should increase the percentage of the total allocation in the proposed budget", they added.

The excitement and ethusiasm for the birth anniversary celebrations of Kazi Nazrul Islam, the national poet of Bangladesh, have been subdued this year too due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Tuesday marks the 122nd birth anniversary of the revolutionary poet, considered one of the greatest literary figures in the history of Bengali literature. To observe the glorious day amid festivities, several government organisations and different cultural platforms have chalked out separate programmes with cultural performances and discussions based on the life and works of Nazrul.  Read: Chhayanaut's 4-day virtual tribute to Nazrul concludes Covid has led several organisations -- Bangladesh Nazrul Sangeet Sangstha, Kabi Nazrul Institute, Chhayanaut, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) and Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre (IGCC) -- to arrange the events virtually. Some chose to follow the traditional route. On behalf of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, State Minister KM Khalid placed a floral wreath on the grave of Kazi Nazrul on the Dhaka University campus in the morning. Office-bearers of Bangla Academy, Kabi Nazrul Institute, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy followed suit. Bangladesh Television (BTV) aired a recorded programme marking the occasion. The programme was later aired by several private news channels. Kabi Nazrul Institute arranged a discussion and cultural event in the morning, which was chaired by National Professor Rafiqul Islam, Chairman of the Kabi Nazrul Institute Trustee Board and the newly appointed Chairman of Bangla Academy. Read:Bangla Academy Director General Habibullah Sirajee passes away The event took place at the seminar hall of Kabi Nazrul Institute and was joined by Khilkhil Kazi, a member of the Kabi Nazrul Institute Trustee Board and granddaughter of the poet. The Institute will also air a documentary on the revered poet at 7 pm on its Facebook page.  An hour later, Chhayanaut will broadcast a special cultural programme, titled Shantir Joy Hok, on its YouTube channel and Facebook page, featuring its noted performers. Similarly, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy is scheduled to stream a cultural programme live on its official Facebook page at 3 pm. Bangladesh Nazrul Sangeet Sangstha will stream a live cultural programme, titled Durjoy Moha Ahoban Tobo, on its Facebook page at 7 pm. Read: Jaago Nari: Arnob's tryst with Nazrul geeti IGCC is set to organise a special event, titled 'Nazrul Jayanti-2021: A Humble Tribute to Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam on his Birth Anniversary' with performances by renowned artists of India and Bangladesh. This event will be streamed live on its Facebook page at 7.30 pm. Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University (JKKNIU) in Trishal, Mymensingh, is organising a three-day virtual event to celebrate the birth anniversary of the national poet from May 25 to May 27, scheduled to be aired from its official Facebook page.  Besides, other cultural bodies are observing the day with discussions and cultural activities across the country. 

The government has asked everyone not to hold any mass gatherings and outdoor celebrations during Pahela Baishakh, the first day of the Bangla calendar, for the second time in a row to curb the spread of Covid-19. However, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs called on the people to welcome the Bengali New Year 1428 on April 14 with online festivities. Pahela Baishakh celebrations form an integral part of Bengali culture since they began over six centuries back. A notification issued by the ministry on Wednesday said, "In line with the instructions issued by the Cabinet Division, following the current Covid-19 situation, it is requested that events be organised on online platforms if possible. Mass gatherings should  be avoided at any cost." Also read: Bangladesh shatters its all-time records of daily Covid cases All programmes had also been cancelled last year to avoid mass gatherings to curb the spread of Covid-19. Bangladesh is now seeing a spike in Covid-19 cases and deaths for the last few weeks.  The country saw the highest number of daily infections with 7,626 new cases reported until early Wednesday since the outbreak began in March last year.  Also, the country recorded 63 more deaths from the virus in the past 24 hours, according to the Directorate General of Health Services. Also read: Pahela Baishakh being celebrated without outdoor programmes Although the government enforced a 7-day lockdown from Monday restricting people's movement, shutting shops, markets and suspending operations of public transport, people took it lightly and are moving around freely defying the restriction, posing risks of more transmission. Also, the movement of city buses resumed on Wednesday, two days after the enforcement of the lockdown, as the government has allowed public transport services in city corporation areas. However, hospitals are struggling to provide treatment to the increasing number of coronavirus patients with their limited resources.

Two new exhibitions are scheduled to be inaugurated at the National Art Gallery of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) on Tuesday.

Ministry of Cultural Affairs has so far distributed Tk 6.66 cr among the unemployed and insolvent cultural activists who have become unemployed amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The annual proposed national budget for the fiscal year 2020-2021 was announced on June 11 by Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, with a proposed allocation of Tk 579.26 crore for the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, known as the governing body for the overall cultural sector of Bangladesh in general.

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on Thursday proposed allocating Tk 579.26 crore for the cultural affairs ministry in the Fiscal Year 2020-2021.

A three-day festival is scheduled to begin on Sunday afternoon at Lalon Akhra in Chheuria village in Kumarkhali upazila remembering the legendry Baul Lalon Shah.

Noted heritage and craft researcher, folk enthusiast and author Maleka Khan’s new book titled ‘Jamdani: A World Class Tradition of Bangladesh’ was nunveiled at Bangladesh National Museum on Monday.