Staff Reporter Dhaka : Pooja Sengupta, Artistic Director of Turongomi Repertory Dance Theatre, received the “Friendship Medal” from the Honorable President of The SR of Vietnam, which is one of the most prestigious and highest order awards for foreigners by the Government of Vietnam. In an official ceremony on Wednesday, 28 December 2022, at 11:00 hours at the Embassy, following the rules according to the constitution of the SR of Vietnam, The Vietnamese Ambassador in Bangladesh HE Pham Viet Chien handover the medal to Ms. Sengupta along with certificate, prize money, flower bouquet and courtesy gifts from the Embassy of Vietnam. The President of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam has awarded Pooja Sengupta the Friendship Medal for her contribution to promoting the people-to-people friendship relations between Viet Nam and Bangladesh, and expressed high appreciation for her Biography Dance Theatre “Ho Chi Minh- A journey to explore the light within”. The president of Viet Nam authorized the Ambassador of Vietnam in Bangladesh to hand over the friendship medal to Ms. Sengupta. Young dance artist, cultural entrepreneur and Artistic Director of Turongomi, Ms. Pooja Sengupta is the only Bangladeshi to receive this prestigious award from the Government of Vietnam this year. Pooja Sengupta has received huge appreciation on social media and over messages on phone from eminent artists of all genres, Bangladeshi and foreign diplomats, bureaucrats, cultural activists etc. State Minister for Culture KM Khalid MP and Cultural Secretary Abul Monsur along with successful professionals of different fields have congratulated Ms. Sengupta on her achievement.

It may be added that Turongomi received the official letter from Vietnam Embassy in Bangladesh to produce and stage a dance theatre on the life on President Ho Chi Minh in 2019. In September 5-6, 2019 the production was premiered in Dhaka at the National Theatre of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. The production received huge appreciation from the audience, critics, media, bureaucrats, diplomats and eminent artists of all genres. It is the first Bangladeshi production to be sited at the panorama of International Dance Council UNESCO, being mentioned as the first ever Biography Dance Theatre in the world. The 40 min Dance Theatre is a creative work conceptualized, scripted, designed, choreographed and directed by Pooja sengupta. In 2017, Turongomi was nominated and awarded at the very prestigious “International Dance Festival 2017” hosted by the Government of Vietnam. Turongomi was selected for their popular production Anamika Sagorkonna. A team of Turongomi of 10 members attended the festival under the leadership of Pooja Sengupta.

Turongomi strongly believes that it is important to be local before being global. That’s why Turongomi is interested in doing research on folk art forms of Bangladesh and in collaborating with local Bangladeshi dance groups in different districts and divisions of the country. Following this belief, Turongomi is going to take part in a festival in Bogra on December 30, 2022. Turongomi will stage their popular production Nondini under the direction of Pooja Sengupta for the 51st time for the audience of Bogra.

Since its inception in 2014, Turongomi has been working with the motto of establishing the signature style of Bangladeshi dance in the international arena and for achieving professionalism in the dance scenario of Bangladesh. Till now, the 2014 Bangkok IF Festival, 2017 Vietnam International Dance Festival, The Delhi International Arts Festival DIAF 2017, The Philippine International Dance Xchange 2018-22, The Silk Road Expo: Dunhuang Conference China 2018 by Beijing Dance Academy, The  2018 St Petersburg State University conference on dance education in Russia, Pooja Sengupta’s speech at the grand general assembly of International Dance Council at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France (The first Bangladeshi Artist to deliver speech at the UNESCO), The SDG Resili-Art by UNESCO in Manila 2022, Daegu colorful festival 2022 in South Korea, Indonesia International Culture Festival 2022 and the prestigious Bandung Arts Festival 2022 are significant amongst the mainstream festivals and programs attended by Turongomi. Turongomi School of dance, a sister concern of Turongomi Repertory Dance Theatre became a member of the International Dance Council of UNESCO along with Pooja Sengupta herself, in 2019. Pooja Sengupta received the Noorul Quader Entrepreneur award in 2018 for establishing Turongomi.