A two-day national Rabindra Sangeet festival will be held on May 8 and 9 in Dhaka, marking the 165th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore.

Organised by the Bangladesh Rabindra Sangeet Shilpi Sangstha, the 37th edition of the festival will take place at the Liberation War Museum auditorium in Agargaon. Preparations are now in their final stage, with artists engaged in regular rehearsals.

Festival organisers said the event is being coordinated under the supervision of general secretary Piyush Barua and executive president Kajal Mukherjee, alongside noted Rabindra Sangeet exponent Khairun Anam Kaiyum.

Singer Tanzina Toma said rehearsals over the past two weeks have created a collaborative and festive environment among performers. She noted that the selection process through auditions makes the festival a significant platform for artists each year.

This year’s edition is dedicated to the memory of late cultural figures, including singer Asha Bhosle, Shahjahan Hafiz and Dalia Naushin. As a highlight, the Kalim Sharafi Padak will be awarded to Rabindra Sangeet artist Iffat Ara Dewan.

The festival will open at 4pm on May 8, with writer and academic Anwara Syed Haque expected to inaugurate the event. Researcher and cultural figure Mofidul Hoque is scheduled to attend as a special guest on the second day.

Around 150 performers from the organisation, along with guest artists, reciters and dancers, will take part. Programmes will run daily with morning sessions from 10am and main performances beginning at 4:00pm.