Aranyak’s ‘Company’ returns to the stage today after 18-month hiatus
4 August 2026, 12:18 PMUPDATED
4 August 2026, 12:18 PM
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Arts & Entertainment Desk
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After an 18-month break, Aranyak Natyadal’s 66th production, “Company”, is returning to the stage today at the National Theatre Hall of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Dhaka. The play is written and directed by veteran theatre personality Mamunur Rashid.
“Company” explores the history of colonial rule, the politics of power, economic exploitation and the trafficking of looted wealth. The production traces the arrival of European traders in the Indian subcontinent, the political rise of the East India Company, the fall of Bengal’s independent Nawabi rule and the establishment of British colonial dominance.
The play depicts how the East India Company gradually transformed itself from a trading enterprise into a political power. It highlights the politics of division, conspiracy and the role of influential local collaborators in enabling the “Company” to seize control of Bengal’s administration.
Key historical events, including the rise of Robert Clive, the conspiracies involving Mir Jafar and Jagat Seth, the Battle of Plassey and the downfall of Siraj ud-Daulah, form the core of the narrative.
Rather than remaining confined to history, “Company” draws parallels between the past and the present, asking whether the end of colonial rule truly brought an end to plunder, the siphoning of wealth and economic exploitation, or whether those practices continue today in different forms.
“Although the East India Company was essentially a commercial enterprise, its economic interests gradually led to a shift in political power,” said Mamunur Rashid.
“That historical experience continues to resonate in today’s world. Large multinational corporations still wield significant influence over global politics and economies. This is why the play remains relevant. The culture of occupation, exploitation and the smuggling of looted wealth abroad continues to exist in many different forms.”
The cast includes Mamunur Rashid, Sazzad Saju, Arif Hossain Apel, Kamrul Hasan, Rubly Chowdhury, Saeed Sumon, Shaharan Khan, Sujat Shimul and Jubayer Jahid, among others.
