‘Notun Kuri’, one of Bangladesh Television’s flagship programmes, showcases the talents of children and teenagers from across the country, providing them with a national platform and an opportunity to launch their careers.
Over the years, the programme has become a dream stage for young people, offering them the chance to demonstrate skills in singing, dancing, acting, recitation, storytelling and comedy.
The programme was discontinued for unknown reasons after 2005. After nearly two decades, Notun Kuri has resumed its activities on BTV. On this occasion, the 2025 edition of Notun Kuri was officially inaugurated by Md. Mahfuz Alam, Advisor to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, at the Dhaka centre of Bangladesh Television on August 17.
Also present at the inauguration ceremony were Mahbuba Farzana, Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting; BTV Director General Mahbubul Alam; Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Md. Kausar Ahmed; Additional Secretary (Administration) Nur Md. Mahbubul Haque; Additional Secretary (Broadcasting) Dr. Md. Altaf-ul-Alam; Joint Secretary and Deputy Director General (Administration and Finance) Mohammad Rokon Uddin; Deputy Director General (Programs) Md. Fakhrul Alam; Deputy Director General (Message) Dr. Syeda Tasmina Ahmed; General Manager of BTV Dhaka Centre Nurul Azam; and other senior BTV officials.
The inauguration included a celebratory release of balloons and pigeons, a cake-cutting ceremony with children and teenagers and a performance of the programme’s iconic theme song ‘Amra Notun, Amar Kuri’.
The Information and Broadcasting Advisor also assisted children in completing both online and offline applications for the competition.
Applications for the 2025 competition opened on August 15 and will remain open until September 5. Forms can be submitted via the Bangladesh Television website (www.btv.gov.bd).
The country will be divided into 19 regions for the competition, which will be held in ‘A’ and ‘B’ branches across nine categories: acting, recitation, storytelling/comedy, general dance/high dance, patriotic songs/modern songs, Rabindra Sangeet, Nazrul Sangeet, folk songs and Hamd-Naat. Participants who receive approval at the regional level will advance to the divisional selection stage.
The age limit for contestants in the ‘A’ branch is six to 11 years, while for the ‘B’ branch it is 11 to 15 years. Each contestant may compete in a maximum of three categories.
The final rounds of Notun Kuri 2025 will be held from November 2 to 6, with the final selection and competition taking place at the Dhaka Centre.