Prof Dr. Israfil Shaheen. Photo: BSS

THAKURGAON, Nov 16, 2025 (BSS) – Dr. Israfil Shaheen, a renowned professor of the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies of Dhaka University and a talented son of Thakurgaon, will lead Bangladesh in the 18th Asia-Pacific Bond of Theatre Schools Festival and Directors' Conference in 2025.

The international festival is going to be held at the traditional Shanghai Theatre Academy (STA) in China from November 28 to December 4, 2025.

Professor Shaheen will not only be a keynote speaker at this important week-long event, but will also conduct master classes, workshops, seminars and symposium sessions on theatre. 

He will present his long-standing and important research - especially his work and experience on prison theatre, juvenile correctional theatre and therapeutic theatre in mental health institutions - on an international stage.

The festival, organized to celebrate the glorious 80th anniversary of the Shanghai Theatre Academy (STA), will bring together directors, researchers, teachers, students and artists from theatre schools from more than 25 countries in the Asia-Pacific region. 

Notable participating countries include China, India, Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines and Bangladesh .

The festival features a variety of activities to enrich the field of international theater education and cooperation.