Children’s theatre, puppetry, music, storytelling and creative workshops filled the premises of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy as BotTala theatre production company organised the Mustafa Monwar Children Theatre Festival 2026 on August 29 and 30. The two-day festival marked BotTala’s 18th founding anniversary while paying tribute to legendary puppeteer and Ekushey Padak recipient Mustafa Monwar, who passed away on June 29. Mustafa Monwar was a beloved artist who played a significant role in popularising puppet theatre in Bangladesh and encouraging children’s participation in creative activities.
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The festival featured a range of programmes designed for children, including stage performances, puppet shows, clay-making sessions, drawing workshops, storytelling and musical activities. A major focus of the event was creating opportunities for children to engage with different forms of art.
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BotTala’s children’s theatre group staged “Bonnotherium” and “Dakat Halum Chitpotang” during the festival. “Dakat Halum Chitpotang” was adapted from German writer Otfried Preußler’s well-known children’s story “The Robber Hotzenplotz”. The stage adaptation was translated and adapted by Shammi Akhter, with direction and design by Humayun Azam Rewaz.
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“Rather than focusing on perfection, our aim is to create an environment where children can enjoy art, express themselves and gain a creative experience,” said Humayun Azam Rewaz, director of BotTala.
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The puppet show “Shobuj Desher Bipod”, presented by Universal Puppet, was another attraction for young audiences.
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The event also included the launch of two children’s books by Goppo-Soppo Publication. One of them, “Boma ar Senapoti”, is the Bengali translation by G H Habib of Italian writer Umberto Eco’s anti-war children’s picture book “The Bomb and the General”. Theatre artist Samiun Jahan Dola presented a storytelling session based on the book. The other book, “Mirabelle”, is a translation of Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren’s work by Mazahar Ziban.
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Several organisations and artists joined the festival with creative programmes. Cartoon People, Together We Can, Khokon Karigor, Inventors Puppet, Universal Puppet, Kaktarua Puppet Theatre and Dhaka Little Opera contributed to different segments of the event. The festival also included book-reading sessions, puppet-making activities, clay workshops and storytelling programmes.
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With performances, workshops and interactive programmes, the festival offered children an opportunity to participate in the arts beyond traditional learning spaces. BotTala plans to continue organising such initiatives to promote creative practices among children in the coming years.
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