Actress Quazi Nawshaba Ahmed, known for her social and humanitarian work, is organising a two-day festival to support the treatment of a cancer-stricken mother.
The festival, titled Mayer Jonno Together We Can, will be held on 21 and 22 August at the main auditorium of the National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.
The event is being organised through Nawshaba’s platform Together We Can, which works with children with special needs and promotes social and community initiatives.
Nawshaba said the venue will open to visitors at 6:30pm each day, followed by a musical segment titled Dhoronir Gaan at 6:50pm.
The segment will feature musical performances by children with special needs alongside members of the younger generation.
The main event will begin at 8pm with a staging of Sojan Badiar Ghat, based on the acclaimed verse novel by poet Jasim Uddin.
The play will be performed by Camellia Sharmin Chura and her troupe.
The initiative has been organised primarily to support Camellia’s mother, Shahin Sultana, who is battling stage-four rectal cancer and urgently needs treatment.
Camellia had previously staged the play at Gazipur City Corporation with support from Together We Can, receiving an encouraging response.
This time, the team has brought the initiative to Dhaka, with proceeds from ticket sales going towards her mother’s medical expenses.
Tickets for the festival are priced at Tk500 and Tk1,000, while students can purchase tickets at a discounted price of Tk300.
In a video message, Nawshaba highlighted the financial burden of cancer treatment and called for collective support.
“Everyone knows cancer treatment is extremely expensive, and it is not possible to manage it alone,” she said.
“The philosophy of Together We Can is rooted in empathy and friendship. We believe in unity. This is the first time we are organising an event like this through ticket sales, so we hope everyone will support us. Please come with your family and friends.”
Through the festival, the organisers hope to combine theatre, music and community solidarity to help fund Shahin Sultana’s treatment.
