Nasiruddin Yousuff, 3 others sent legal notice to return Selim Al Deen memorabilia
Under Article 23 of the Constitution of Bangladesh, the state has the responsibility to preserve cultural heritage and promote national language, literature, and arts.
A legal notice has been issued to theatre and film director Nasiruddin Yousuff and three others, requesting the handover of late playwright Selim Al Deen's medals, awards, manuscripts, and personal belongings to the Selim Al Deen Museum in Feni for preservation.
The others named in the notice are Md Kamrul Hasan, Abdus Salam, and Nasrin Sultana Bilkis.
The notice was sent today by lawyer Shihab Uddin Khan on behalf of Salah Uddin Shubhra, nephew of Selim Al Deen and vice-president of the Selim Al Deen Centre, Feni.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Quoting from the notice, Shihab said, "Playwright Selim Al Deen was a world-class author, researcher, and theatre director, honoured with the title Natyacharya. He founded the Department of Drama and Dramatics at Jahangirnagar University and received the Bangla Academy Literary Award, Ekushey Padak, Independence Award, and numerous national and international honours."
The notice emphasised that all of Selim Al Deen's medals, manuscripts, awards, and personal items are national assets and part of Bangladesh's cultural heritage. It cited Article 23 of the Constitution, underlining the state's duty to preserve the nation's language, literature, and arts.
It further stated that the recipients, "taking advantage of their close association with Selim Al Deen, divided his memorabilia and belongings among themselves," and that these items are gradually being damaged due to a lack of proper preservation. Fans, researchers, and admirers are reportedly deprived of access to these invaluable materials.
The Selim Al Deen Centre and its affiliated museum, established in 2009, regularly receive visitors from home and abroad. However, the playwright's awards, manuscripts, and personal items remain largely unseen, the notice added.
The recipients have been given 15 days to return the items, failing which legal steps, including a writ petition before the High Court, will be pursued. Copies of the notice have also been sent to the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and the Department of Archaeology.
Nasiruddin Yousuff, a leading theatre personality in Bangladesh and freedom fighter, is widely credited with staging the majority of Selim Al Deen's plays through Dhaka Theatre, the troupe he co-founded in the 1970s.
From Kittonkhola to Banpangshul to Joiboti Konyar Mon, Yousuff's productions brought Al Deen's epic style and thematic depth to the stage, playing a central role in popularising his works and shaping modern Bangladeshi theatre.
Regarding the notice, Kamrul Hasan told The Business Standard, "Since Selim Al Deen didn't have any children, his property was inherited by his wife, Begaumjadi Meherunnisa, his siblings and nephews. Now that his widow has also passed away, we – her own siblings – are likewise lawful heirs and entitled to claim our share of Selim Al Deen's property."
He added, "Selim Al Deen's belongings were preserved through Begaumjadi Meherunnisa's own effort and at her own expense, and we are now the ones safeguarding them.
"Together with Nasiruddin Yousuff Bachchu, Dhaka Theatre, Gram Theatre, the Department of Drama and Dramatics at Jahangirnagar University and the Selim Al Deen Archive, we continue to protect his legacy – so it is only natural that these possessions remain in our care."
Kamrul further remarked, "Shouldn't all his possessions stay with those who research and work to preserve Selim Al Deen's legacy, rather than with people who have no role in that effort?"
