Selim Al Deen: The Dramatic Voice of Bengal’s Roots

Selim Al Deen remains one of the most influential figures in the development of modern Bangladeshi theatre, remembered not only as a playwright but also as a researcher, theatre theorist, director, organiser and teacher. His work was shaped by a sustained search for the roots of Bengali culture, particularly the lives of ordinary people, rural traditions, folklore, mythology and the long history of the region.

Born on 18 August 1949 in Sen­er­khil village of Sonagazi in Feni district, Selim Al Deen pursued higher education in Bengali literature at the University of Dhaka, where he completed his master’s degree. He later conducted research on drama in medieval Bengali literature at Jahangirnagar University and received his PhD in 1995.

His professional life began outside academia. He worked as a copywriter at the advertising agency Bitopi before joining the Department of Bengali at Jahangirnagar University as a lecturer in 1974. His association with the university would later become central to the institutional development of theatre education in Bangladesh.

In 1986, Selim Al Deen played a leading role in establishing the Department of Drama and Dramaturgy at Jahangirnagar University. He became its founding chairman. The department helped establish theatre as an academic discipline in Bangladesh, combining performance, research, theory and practical training within a formal educational framework.

His literary journey had begun much earlier. His first published essay, ‘Nigro Sahitya’, appeared in the daily Pakistan in 1968. His first radio play was ‘Biporit Tamasay’. In 1970, his first television drama, ‘Ghum Nei’, was broadcast, while his first stage play, ‘Sarpbishoyok Galpo’, was staged in 1972.

At the heart of Selim Al Deen’s theatrical philosophy was the belief that Bangladeshi theatre needed to develop an identity rooted in its own cultural landscape. Rather than simply adopting theatrical forms from the West, he explored the country’s rich traditions of folk theatre, pala songs, kirtan, mangalkavya, legends, mythology and rural storytelling.

That approach gave his plays a distinctive character. His works often brought together historical memory, folk traditions and the struggles of contemporary human beings. The rural world in his plays was not presented merely as a picturesque setting. It became a space where questions of identity, social change, suffering, desire and existence could be explored.

In 1982, Selim Al Deen and theatre director Nasiruddin Yousuff established Gram Theatre. The initiative helped take theatre beyond urban centres and encouraged theatrical activity in rural communities. It became an important part of the wider theatre movement in Bangladesh and reflected Selim Al Deen’s commitment to connecting theatre with the lives and cultural practices of ordinary people.

His creative output was remarkably broad. He wrote for the stage, radio and television and was also involved in research, direction, screenwriting, poetry, songs, translation and fiction. Among his notable plays are ‘Sarpbishoyok Galpo’, ‘Muntasir’, ‘Shakuntala’, ‘Kittankhola’, ‘Keramatmangal’, ‘Hathhadai’, ‘Yaibati Kanyar Mon’, ‘Hargaj’, ‘Nimajjan’ and ‘Dhabaman’.

Works such as ‘Kittankhola’, ‘Keramatmangal’ and ‘Yaibati Kanyar Mon’ demonstrate his distinctive ability to bring folk traditions and contemporary theatrical expression into the same artistic space. ‘Nimajjan’, meanwhile, reflects his engagement with history and human tragedy. Across these works, his language often moves between poetry, folk expression, philosophical reflection and everyday human experience.

Selim Al Deen’s contribution extended beyond individual plays. His research into the history and traditions of Bengali theatre provided an intellectual foundation for his creative practice. He examined the relationship between drama, medieval literature and the wider performance traditions of Bengal, helping to broaden the understanding of what could constitute a distinctly Bengali theatrical language.

His contribution was recognised through several major honours, including the Bangla Academy Award, the Ekushey Padak and the National Film Award, along with other distinctions at home and abroad. His influence also continued through his students, colleagues and subsequent generations of theatre practitioners and researchers.

For Selim Al Deen, theatre was never simply entertainment presented on a stage. It was a means of examining society, history, cultural memory and human identity. His plays sought to recover the voices, traditions and experiences embedded in Bengali life while giving them new expression through modern theatre.

Selim Al Deen died in Dhaka on 14 January 2008, leaving behind a substantial body of creative and scholarly work. His death marked the loss of a major figure in Bangladeshi theatre, but his artistic ideas continued to shape theatrical practice and academic discussion.

His enduring legacy lies in his insistence that Bengali theatre could find strength by looking towards its own cultural roots. Through folklore, history, mythology and the lives of ordinary people, he created a theatrical world that was deeply connected to Bengal while remaining open to contemporary human concerns.

On the anniversary of his birth, Selim Al Deen is remembered as a pioneering theatre-maker who helped redefine the possibilities of Bangladeshi drama. His works remain an important part of the country’s theatrical heritage, while his lifelong search for an authentic Bengali dramatic language continues to inspire those who study, write and perform theatre.