Filmmaker Tauquir Ahmed has announced that his 2016 film “Oggatonama” will be adapted for the stage, marking a new theatrical interpretation of the critically acclaimed work.

The announcement came on April 19 at a seminar titled “Our culture and the responsibility of artists,” held at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Dhaka. Ahmed said the stage adaptation will be produced by theatre group Natya Kendra within the year.

Released in 2016, “Oggatonama” explores the bureaucratic and emotional complexities surrounding the repatriation of a migrant worker’s body from the Middle East. The film portrays the escalating struggles faced by the victim’s family, capturing grief, institutional delays, and social indifference with restraint.

Ahmed also confirmed plans to return to filmmaking, stating that he intends to begin work on a new film by the end of the year.

He further expressed interest in developing a full-length project centred on veteran actor Abul Hayat, who is also his father-in-law. “We have not yet done a complete work focused on him. He has appeared in smaller roles in our projects, but I want to build a full-length work around him,” Ahmed said.

The seminar featured speakers including Mamunur Rashid, Mahfuz Ahmed, Deepa Khandakar, and Mir Sabbir.

“Oggatonama” was screened later that day at the academy’s main auditorium. In the evening, Natya Kendra staged Tauquir Ahmed’s play “Tirthojatra” at the same venue.