Shilpakala Academy suffers leadership vacuum with inactive directorial board

Prolonged leadership vacuum could halt operations, says a council member

The Shilpakala Academy is grappling with a leadership vacuum and an inactive governing board following the resignation of Director General Syed Jamil Ahmed in late February.

Jamil Ahmed cited “bureaucratic complexities” and “interference” from the cultural advisor as reasons for stepping down.

Two months later, the academy remains without a leader possessing the vision and expertise of Ahmed. No board meetings have been convened since his departure.

Secretary Mohammad Wares Hossain has been appointed acting director general, with the Ministry of Cultural Affairs effectively steering the institution’s operations.

While activities at Shilpakala have continued, council member, actor, and theater director Azad Abul Kalam describes the academy as stagnant. “It’s moving, but without direction,” he said.

Cultural Advisor Mostafa Sarwar Farooki, however, rejected the notion that Shilpakala is “guardianless.”

Speaking at a press conference for the academy’s anniversary program on Apr 9, Farooki insisted: “The academy couldn’t have organised so many events without leadership. A parentless institution couldn’t achieve this. It proves its capacity.”

According to Shilpakala Academy rules, the board of directors—its highest policy-making body—is responsible for setting the institution’s work plan. But in the absence of a permanent director general, the ministry has assumed decision-making authority. The rules also require the board to authorise operations through regular meetings. Yet the board has been effectively inactive.

The board is supposed to meet every three months. But since the political shift following the July Uprising, with new members appointed under the interim government, only one meeting has been held. Even during the previous Awami League administration, the board failed to meet regularly; no meetings were convened during Director General Liaquat Ali Lucky’s final year in office.

At the time, some board members accused Lucky of sidelining them, alleging he was “engaged in various irregularities.”

Now, amid another transition of power, several board members say the continued absence of meetings is undermining Shilpakala’s governance. bdnews24.com spoke with three board members, all expressing frustration over their inability to fulfil their roles. One member is even considering resignation.

WHY NO MEETING?

Under the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Act, the board president—who is also the minister of cultural affairs—is responsible for convening board meetings. The director general acts as member-secretary, tasked with implementing the board’s decisions. The Act allows the president to call a meeting at any time under special circumstances.

Since Ahmed’s resignation, no meeting has been called. Board members remain uncertain about when one will take place.

Asked about the delay, Acting DG Wares said he had no information, directing inquiries to Cultural Advisor Farooki. However, at least 15 phone calls to Farooki between Apr 17 and Apr 26 went unanswered. Two WhatsApp messages sent on Apr 26 also received no reply.

Azad Abul Kalam, a current member of the Shilpakala Academy council and president of the Actors Equity Bangladesh, told bdnews24.com: “As council members, our platform for discussion is the council meeting.

“If there are no meetings, we have no opportunity to speak, he added. “So, we don’t know much about what’s happening at Shilpakala right now. I see what you’re seeing.”

IS THE COUNCIL INACTIVE?

The board of trustees of the Shilpakala Academy was last restructured in October.

Among the newly appointed members were writer-researcher Altaf Parvez; Chhayanaut music teacher Layeqa Bashir; dancer and Dhaka University faculty member in dance studies Agnes Rachel Perris; and actress-playwright and Dhaka University sociology professor Samina Luthfa Nitra.

Regional representatives included Azad from Dhaka Division, Joydeb Roaja from Chattogram, Asaduzzaman Dulal from Rajshahi, Shipon Chowdhury from Khulna, Debashish Chakrabarty from Barishal, Shamsul Basit Shero from Sylhet, Ifthekharul Alam Raj from Rangpur, and Kamal Kanti from Mymensingh.

Azad said: “During Syed Jamil Ahmed’s tenure as director general, we had a council meeting where we discussed several plans to carry out work nationwide. Those initiatives are now on hold.”

He believes an institution like the Shilpakala Academy cannot function effectively without a director general. “Shilpakala’s work extends across the country. If such an institution remains headless for long, its operations will inevitably stall.

“A director general should be appointed without delay, and the council meetings must be held regularly.”

Another member Altaf said he is considering resigning from the council.

“There has only been one meeting since the current council was formed, which I couldn’t attend due to personal reasons, he added. “No further meetings have been held since. I’ve already drafted my resignation letter—though I haven’t sent it yet, I plan to do so soon.”

LIAQUAT ALI ALSO DISREGARDED THE COUNCIL

Former director general Liaquat Ali Lucky allegedly disregarded the Shilpakala Academy’s governing council during his tenure, committing irregularities, some of which were reported in the media.

Three former council members from Lucky’s tenure told bdnews24.com that he used to make decisions unilaterally, without informing the council.

Although they raised complaints over the matter, no action was taken.

A report titled "Is the board only in name, and Lucky rules all at Shilpakala?" was published by bdnews24.com on Jun 21, 2023, shedding light on his disregard for institutional procedures.

The last council meeting during Liaquat’s time was held on Sept 19, 2023. Following the political shift in July, another meeting was held on Dec 18, 2024.

After the fall of the Awami League government on Aug 5 last year amid student and public protests, Liaquat resigned from his post as director general.

On Sept 9, Syed Jamil was appointed as director general for a two-year term, and the board was restructured.

On Feb 28, during an event at the National Theatre Hall of Shilpakala Academy, Jamil abruptly announced his resignation.

He later issued a media statement outlining the reasons behind his decision.

Following his resignation, Jamil remarked that even the sole council meeting held during his tenure took the ministry an entire month to approve.

He added that he was unsure whether another meeting could be held within the next three months.

WHAT HAS SHILPAKALA BEEN DOING SINCE POLITICAL SHIIFT?

In the aftermath of the July Uprising, at least 22 district and Upazila Shilpakala Academy premises across the country were vandalised or set ablaze, dealing a significant blow to the institution.

The morale of cultural officers stationed in districts and upazilas plummeted, but then-director general Jamil succeeded in quickly restoring their confidence.

In December, under his leadership, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy launched and implemented a wide array of initiatives across the country.

These included a nationwide instrumental music festival, a Qawwali evening, performances of songs of mass uprising, programmes featuring Advasi communities, photography workshops, a weekly debate series, mobile cultural shows, research grant announcements for artists in different districts, national theatre workshops in all 64 districts, Bhawaiya song performances, theatre exhibitions outside the capital, folk cultural events, and the release of a new web journal.

In January, the academy organised the Youth Festival 2025 at central, divisional, and district levels.

It also held three-day dance programmes in 50 districts, a two-day Alpona art exhibition by the Rajowar community in Rajshahi, and performances by 13 indigenous communities featuring dance, music, and theatre.

Other notable January programmes included a "Nationwide Acrobatics Show", the "6th National Sculpture Exhibition", and an exhibition titled “July Uprising in Debasish Chakrabarty’s Posters”.

There was also a two-day harmony festival on the beach with the Rakhine and other ethnic groups, band music events in six districts, a public dialogue session in the capital, and the traditional “Sadhu Mela”.

The 18th National Pitha Festival 1431 began in January and concluded on Feb 8.

Throughout February, the Academy also held a “Multilingual Festival”, featuring multilingual film screenings, commemorative events honouring notable personalities, lectures and workshops on minority languages and cultural heritage, photography workshops for children and adolescents, classical music and dance festivals, street theatre festivals, folk theatre performances, and the Munier Chowdhury First National Theatre Festival.

It was at the closing ceremony of the Munier Chowdhury First National Theatre Festival on Feb 28 that Syed Jamil publicly submitted his resignation.

Following his resignation, the Academy organised a Chand Raat event on the eve of Eid-ul-Fits.

In April, it hosted concerts, a drone show, a Sadhu Mela, and folk theatre performances to celebrate the Bengali New Year.

Earlier, in March, the Academy arranged several events to commemorate Independence Day.

[Writing in English by Syed Mahmud Onindo and Sheikh Fariha Bristy]