Dhaka, Sep 09 (V7N) — Prominent theatre director and educator, Dr. Syed Jamil Ahmed, has been appointed as the Director General of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. The Ministry of Public Information issued the official notification on Monday, confirming his new role.

Dr. Syed Jamil Ahmed, born on April 7, 1955, in Dhaka, is a highly respected figure in the field of theatre and performance. He is the founder of the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Dhaka, where he has been a professor for over three decades, significantly contributing to the growth of theatre arts in the country.

In 1978, Dr. Ahmed graduated from India's prestigious National School of Drama with first-class honours. The same year, he topped the Television Producers Training at the Film and Television Institute of India. He later obtained a Master’s degree in Theatre Arts from the University of Warwick, England, in 1989, and earned his PhD from the University of Dhaka in 1997.

As an accomplished author, Dr. Ahmed has penned several influential books, including Achinpakhi Infinity, Indigenous Theater in Bangladesh, In Praise of Niranjan, Islamic Theatre, and Performance and Politics Entwined with a Buddhist Strain. His scholarly work explores the intersection of theatre, culture, and politics in Bangladesh.

In addition to his academic contributions, Dr. Syed Jamil Ahmed has directed numerous critically acclaimed theatre productions such as Kamala Rani Sagar Dighi (1997), One Thousand and One Nights (1998), Behular Bhasan (2004), Pahye (2006), and Song Bhong Chong (2006), establishing him as a major figure in the Bangladeshi theatre scene.

Dr. Ahmed’s appointment as Director General of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy is expected to bring further dynamism to the cultural institution, leveraging his vast experience in theatre and performance arts to promote the cultural heritage of Bangladesh.