Narayanganj’s historic Lovely Cinema Hall to be demolished

Another of Bangladesh’s longstanding cinema halls is set to disappear, as the historic Lovely Cinema Hall in Kanchpur, Narayanganj, is scheduled to be demolished on Friday.

Located near Kanchpur Kachabazar and the Lovely bus stop along the Dhaka-Sylhet highway, the cinema was once known for regularly screening Bangla films. Its operations, however, gradually declined over the years, with screenings becoming increasingly irregular.

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Film director and producer Shahadat Hossain Liton confirmed the decision in a Facebook post.

“The historic Lovely Cinema Hall is shutting down. It is the end of an era. A decision has been made to demolish the hall next Friday,” he wrote.

The demolition may not, however, mark the end of the Lovely name. According to Liton, there are plans to construct a multi-storey commercial building on the site, with the possibility of establishing a cineplex bearing the same name.

Responding to a question about plans for the property, Liton wrote, “There are plans to build a commercial building on the site of Lovely Cinema Hall. A cineplex is also being considered there.”

The cineplex proposal, however, remains at the planning stage.

Located in the Sonapur area of Kanchpur in Narayanganj’s Sonargaon upazila, Lovely Cinema Hall has long been a familiar entertainment venue for local residents.

The exact year the cinema was established could not be confirmed from available media records. Its presence in the area, however, has been significant enough for the surrounding locality to become popularly known as “Lovely Cinema Hall Mor”.