Three-day International Mime Festival kicks off at Dhaka University

Dhaka University Mime Action (DUMA) is hosting the sixth International Mime Festival 2025, a three-day event featuring artistes from five countries, at the TSC premises of Dhaka University. The festival began on July 5 with a rally at 4pm and will end on July 7 at 10pm with the awarding of certificates and crests to mime artistes of DUMA.

This three-day festival features a total of 20 mime teams from Bangladesh, India, Denmark, Türkiye and South Korea. Moreover, every evening from 7pm to 9pm, there will be a puppet show. 

Vice-Chancellor Professor ASM Amanullah of the National University officially inaugurated the festival yesterday. Last evening's highlights included the unveiling of a bilingual book on mime titled "Noishobder Protiddhoni, Mime er Shilpanneshon", authored by Father Tapon D'Rozario, the moderator of Dhaka University Mime Action.

The special guests for the event are Dr Father Tapan Camillus D'Rozario, associate professor of the Department of World Religions and Culture and Moderator of DUMA; Professor Dr Kazi Mostak Gausul Hoq of the Department of Information Science and Library Management; Giasuddin Selim, a renowned director in Bangladesh; and Sanjida Islam Tuli, coordinator of Mayer Daak.

Notable performances on the opening day included Denmark's Denny Denis, South Korea's Roger Kim, and Bangladesh's Mirror Mime Theatre, Platform 25, and Mime Face.

The day-long festivities began at 12pm with a three-hour-long workshop conducted by Denny Denis. In the afternoon, South Korean artiste PickPick presented a clown mime performance, taking the festival's energy to new heights with his humorous and interactive engagement with the audience.

The schedule continues today and tomorrow with a host of activities, including poster exhibitions, workshops, seminars, open discussions, and live mime performances, offering a rich and immersive experience for enthusiastic visitors.

Founded on February 27, 2011, with the motto "Let the unspoken be said in silence," the mime troupe has participated in over 800 performances both at home and abroad. Their international presence spans Armenia, Morocco, India, China, and South Korea at various mime and theatre festivals.

According to Ubaidullah Ridwan and Munna, the president and general secretary of the organisation, respectively, "Our country is undergoing a transitional phase, yet we've managed to uphold the continuity of this festival against all odds."

Founder Mir Lokman added, "This festival is strengthening Bangladesh's cultural ties with the rest of the world, sending a message of peace and harmony from its stage." He further added that students from school, college and university can participate at the mime competition during this festival.

DUMA is actively working to introduce Bangladeshi mime on both national and international stages. So far, it has earned a strong reputation at home and abroad through more than 800 exhibitions. This international initiative aims to strengthen cultural exchange and promote the art of mime among students and the wider community in Bangladesh. 

Mir Lokman, Shahriar Shawon, and Mousumi Mou are serving as advisers for the event.