Besides Bangladesh, theatre troupes from Germany, Japan, China, Nepal and host India will also particpate in the festival.

The Centre for Asian Theatre (CAT) will represent Bangladesh. CAT will stage the Bangla version of Eugene Ionesco's absurd comedy The Lesson, directed by Mejrema Reuter. Mejrema, a Croatian, was an active theatre personality in Dhaka and has since settled overseas.

Kamaluddin Nilu, the General Secretary of CAT, said, 'This is the third time we are participating in the NSD drama festival. Earlier in 2002, we staged Bhelua Shundori and in 2004 we staged The Mission. We will stage The Lesson on January 7, at Kamani Stage in Delhi. The Lesson is translated by Saidus Saqlain. Sabina Sultana, Rokea Rafiq Baby and I will perform in the play.'

Another eminent theatre activist, Azad Abul Kalam is also participating at the Bharat Ranga Maha-Utsav. He is one of the directors of Babarnama, a play on the autobiography of Mughal Emperor Babar. Directors from five countries--Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka-- have been selected as the directors for Babarnama, which is a project of Japan Foundation Asia Centre (JFAC). Azad Abul Kalam said, 'JFAC has worked to introduce contemporary Asian Theatre to the Japanese audience.

Through the collaborative creation of a theatre piece, each participating director has been given the chance to gauge the particular problems of their native lands through a universal perspective and to discover the achievement of today's theatre. As Mughal Emperor Babar was the ruler of the subcontinent and wrote a wonderful autobiography, Babarnama has been selected for JFAC current project.'

Babarnama will be staged on January 7 in the NSD festival.

'As the host nation will have to bear a part of the production cost, Babarnama will not be staged in Bangladesh,' added Azad.