Dowel Biswas

The awards’ focus on technical categories is an act of cultural intervention, asking audiences and peers alike to reconsider who counts in the making of art.

The film was officially selected for the prestigious Anatolia International Film Festival and the Golden Bridge Istanbul Short Film Festival, and has received honorary awards at the East Village New York Film Festival and the Athens International Art Film Festival.

The exhibition presents a rare visual chronicle of one of Bangladesh’s greatest treasures, Sultan, spanning from his reclusive days in his village home in Machimdia, Narail, to his later years. Photographs, letters—many never previously seen—allow viewers to step quietly into the private world of a man who preferred to live through his paintings, labour, imagination, and solitude.

That night in December 1921, while his comrade Muzaffar Ahmed slept, Nazrul scribbled furiously. By the morning, the air was charged with something new. “Bolo Bir, Chiro Unnoto Momo Sheer…” (“I am the Rebel Eternal, / I raise my head beyond this world, / High, ever erect and alone!”) he declared. It was not merely the birth of a poem but of a cultural rupture. Critics would later see in “Bidrohi” a break from the ‘Rabindric’ serenity that had long defined Bengal’s literary landscape—a new current of words forged in fire, laced with the clang of rebellion.

For decades, his works stood sentinel across the landscape of this country—quiet but powerful witnesses to our struggles, our resilience, and our history. “Sangsaptak”, perhaps his most defining piece, looms outside Jahangirnagar University’s central library like a frozen cry.

The artiste, whose lyrics and guitar immortalised the volatile, uncertain moments of the July Uprising through songs such as “Bhoy Banglay,” “Jonotar Beyadobi,” “Bhoy Banglay Bhoy,” “Ei Meye Shon,” “Rani Maa,” and “O Neta Bhai,” offered this correspondent a deeply personal glimpse into her creative process during a time when life seemed hollow and rebellion offered meaning.

Set against a parched desert landscape, the play follows a paranoid merchant, a humble porter, and a local guide as they journey across unforgiving terrain in pursuit of profit and survival. A fatal misunderstanding leads to tragedy, unfolding into a courtroom drama that questions whether justice can truly be impartial when wealth and power dominate the rules.

As Dhaka shimmered beneath days of rainfall, a quiet enchantment stirred inside the Sheraton Ballroom last Friday; however, this wasn't just another evening of performances. “Badol Diner Prothom Kodom Phul”, hosted by MW Magazine Bangladesh, unfolded more like a dream shared between memories and monsoon.

Panthakunja, located on Sonargaon Road, was once a rare oasis in the capital

More than just a home for the arts, it has long been a custodian of collective memory, responsible for shaping a culturally enriched, humane Bangladesh, rooted in its historical context. Despite its undeniable impact in preserving traditions, amplifying artistic expression, and cultivating national identity, the institution has long been a target for political manipulation, corruption, and political parties’ quests to control the cultural conscience of the country.

Pahela Baishakh heralds new beginning

Thousands of Bangalees ushered in Bengali Year 1432 at Ramna Batamul on Monday morning, as Chhayanaut’s iconic Pahela Baishakh celebration marked its 58th edition with renewed hope, harmony, and heritage.

As the sun rose over Dhaka, Chhayanaut’s Pahela Baishakh celebration for the Bengali year 1432 began at Ramna Batamul. The theme of Chhayanaut's Pahela Baishakh celebration this year is "Amar Mukti Aloy Aloy" (my freedom lies in light). Through this theme, Chhayanaut aims to convey a message of hope, resilience, and renewal.

As the nation now stands on the cusp of renewal, Pahela Baishakh 1432 arrives at a time when the people of Bangladesh are eager to reclaim their cultural voice—seeking a deeper connection to its identity, heritage, and hope. For centuries, it has been an occasion of collective celebration, resilience, and unity.

Chhayanaut is all set to celebrate Bangla New Year, Pahela Baishakh, with its iconic cultural programme at Ramna Batamul in Dhaka.

Farooki declared that this year’s New Year celebrations would bring together not just Bengali citizens, but also 27 ethnic communities from across the country. “Diversity is our most powerful and beautiful asset,” he said.

Renowned filmmaker and cultural affairs adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki has dismissed concerns that Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy is running without leadership following the recent resignation of its Director General, Syed Jamil Ahmed.

Renowned musician and social activist Farzana Wahid Shayan, known for her bold stance on gender inequality and oppression, has once again raised her voice in response to the alarming rise of gender-based violence in Bangladesh. In recent weeks, a wave of brutal incidents, including the rape of eight-year-old Asiya by a relative, has sent shockwaves throughout the nation, prompting widespread outrage and calls for justice.

Parsha Mahjabeen Purnee holds two very distinct identities among her audiences, one more intriguing than the other—she is a musician and now an actor with her (groundbreaking) debut in Jahid Preetom’s “Ghumpori”. A third-year university student who inspired millions through her song, “Cholo Bhule Jai” during the July Movement gets candid with The Daily Star about her journey, new-found fame and future aspirations.

This rally, which brought together theatre artistes, writers, directors, designers, and cultural activists, came in the wake of the controversial resignation of Syed Jamil Ahmed, the Academy’s former director general. The procession aims to voice a clear and urgent demand for not only the reinstatement of Ahmed but also for the autonomy of Shilpakala Academy, free from bureaucratic interference.