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Most of the directors of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy have been absent from the office since the fall of the Hasina-led government, hampering regular activities of the academy. 

The academy premises are being used as a temporary camp for army personnel, and activities of the academy have been closed, the academy sources said.

Due to the absence of the directors any alternative activities have not been created by the departments of the BSA and its activities have also remained closed even at the district level.

BSA fine arts director Syed Mahbuba Karim, music, dance and recitation department director Kazi Aftab Uddin Hablu and production department director Sohaila Afsana Eco have not been attending their offices while director of publication research department Jyotika Jyoti has left the office following protests from her colleagues, confirmed academy’s public relations officer Sabina Yesmin on Friday.

After transfer of director of training department Muhammad Shariful Haque in December 2023 and the expiry of Afsana Mimi’s three-year contract as director of the Academy’s theatre and film department in November 2023, both of the departments are being run without directors, Sabina Yesmin added.

‘Most of the directors of the BSA were appointed on political considerations. So after the fall of the Hasina-led government they have been absent from the office. We have not received any message from the ministry about their current status,’ said academy’s deputy director Irin Parveen Lopa.    

The DG of BSA Syed Jamil Ahmed said that the academy was now discussing the expectations from the academy with the stakeholders and after the meeting of the executive council the BSA could run their activities in full swing.

He also said that the issue of the directors’ absence from the office would be resolved as early as possible.

Cultural affairs secretary Khalil Ahmed said, ‘We are working on the issue of the directors who are absent from the office after the fall of the Hasina-led government. I hope we can solve the problem in two or three days.’