A cultural programme marking the birth anniversaries of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore and Bangladesh's national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam was held at the Bangladesh National Museum on May 14, according to a press release.

The event featured a discussion session and a dance-music tableau titled Nrityagiti. It was organised by Itihash O Oitijjo Parishad in collaboration with the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre, cultural school Tapoban, Nrityanchal and bahumatrik.com.

Cultural affairs minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury attended the programme as chief guest, while acting high commissioner of India to Bangladesh Pawankumar Badhe was present as special guest.

Tarik Manzur and Ahmed Reza spoke at the discussion session, which was chaired by Professor Niranjan Adhikari.

Speaking at the event, Pawankumar Badhe said the two poets continue to live deeply in the hearts of people in both India and Bangladesh. He added that the enduring admiration for Tagore and Nazrul remains one of the strongest symbols of the shared cultural heritage of the two countries.

The performance Nrityagiti was directed by renowned artists Shamim Ara Nipa and Shibli Mohammad of Nrityanchal. The production presented a creative blend of the musical and philosophical legacies of Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam. Artists performed group dances to 14 popular songs by the two poets.

The programme also featured an exhibition of portraits of Rabindranath and Nazrul created by more than 100 students from 13 schools in Dhaka and surrounding areas.

At the end of the event, certificates of recognition were awarded to the participating young artistes.