Profile - Ataur Rahman

Ataur Rahman

General Information

Pioneer of theater movement

Actor, Director, Writer

Full Name: Ataur Rahman

Affiliation: Nagorik Natya Sampradaya

Position: Founder General Secretary

Date of Birth: June 18, 1941

Place of Birth: Bangladesh

Home District: Noakhali

Nationality: Bangladeshi

Profile:

Ataur Rahman (born 18 June 1941) is a Bangladeshi stage and television actor, stage director and writer. He was a pioneer of the post-independence theater movement in Bangladesh. He was awarded Ekushey Padak in 2001 and Independence Award in 2021 by the government of Bangladesh for his contribution to drama. Rahman served as the General Secretary and later President of Bangladesh Centre of the International Theatre Institute (BCITI). He is the Founder General Secretary of the theater troupe "Nagorik Natya Sampradaya". He is a Former Chairman of Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation.

Rahman was born in Noakhali district. He learned to read books from his mother. He spent his childhood in Noakhali. It was there that he first read Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Besides, he got acquainted with Rabindranath Tagore's poems, novels, short stories, Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's works, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay's works.

Rahman passed secondary from Chittagong Collegiate School and higher secondary from Chittagong College. He later obtained his MSc degree in Soil Science from Dhaka University in 1965. After leaving university, his friend Zia Haider passed from the East West Center of America and came to the country and offered him a play. "Nagrik Natya Sampradaya" was established in 1968 at Fazle Lohani's house. Rahman became its Founding General Secretary. It took a few years to decide on the first play as there was no basic play of choice. In 1972, Rahman directed his first play.The first stage play directed by him was written by Michael Madhusudan Dutt’s farce “Buro Shaliker Ghare Ro” starring Lucky Inam, Abul Hayat, Enamul Haque, Ali Zaker and Fakhrul Islam. In 1973, he acted in Badal Sarkar's “Baki Itihas” theater, directed by Aly Zaker. It was his first performance for the "Nagrik Natya Sampradaya". This was the first drama exhibition in Bangladesh.

Rahman has directed more than 35 basic and translated plays from other languages. Notable among these are Galileo, Payer Awaj Paowa Jai, Roktokorobi, Banglar Mati Banglar Jol, Narigon, Irsha, Opekkhoman and Waiting for Godot.

Rahman wrote poems on stage as well. Some of his poems are Sapner Pahar, Ratdin, Valo Achi.

Awards: