Students of Class IX, X, XI and XII in our country read novels and plays as part of their curriculum. SSC and HSC students have to study a novel and a play out of a few selected pieces. The novels are Hajar Bachhor Dhore by Zahir Raihan, Surjo Dighol Bari by Abu Ishaque, Azad by Kazi Abdul Wadud, and plays are Kabar by Munier Chowdhury, Sirajuddaula by Sikander Abu Zafar, Bahipir by Syed Waliullah for the high school students. For the HSC students, novels are Titash Ekti Nadir Naam by Advaita Mallabarmana and Padma Nadir Majhi by Manik Bandopadhyay, and plays are Raktakta Prantar by Munier Chowdhury and Zamindar Darpan by Mir Mosharraf Hossain. In the past, there were Srikanta by Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay, Pather Panchali by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay, Abdullah by Kazi Imdadul Huq etc. for school and college students.These are very good books for the young people to achieve a broad vision of life and society. These readings also lay the foundation for building the capacity of enjoying great literary works. Both light and serious writings are important for building sound mentality of a nation. But one needs help from experts to learn how to read serious and classic books. This is one of the reasons that schools and colleges include novels and plays in the curriculum.
The same is true for cinema, theatre and other branches of arts. One needs to improve his/her taste gradually, and it may require help from experts. Movies have been made based on some of the novels and plays mentioned above. Now computer facilities are available in many schools and colleges of the country. Films can be carried easily in a pen-drive and can be screened in educational institutions. It can be made mandatory for the students to watch. There are theatre groups in many upazilas of the country. They can be supported and instructed to stage the plays at the schools and colleges. There should be a discussion between the students and the teachers on the films and the plays. It will help the students not only to learn about good movies and plays but also to study those literary works. It can be done with the minimum efforts by the authorities, the outcomes of which will be amazing and enormous.
Alamgir Khan writes on theatre, education and socio-political issues