United News of Bangladesh

Indian actor Vijay Deverakonda has revealed that his wife and fellow actor Rashmika Mandanna tells him “I love you” at least 10 to 15 times a day, stressing the importance of expressing love even in a long-term relationship. The couple, who are preparing for the release of their upcoming film Ranabaali on October 16, shared their views on love and relationships during an appearance on Prakhar Gupta's podcast. The film marks their first on-screen collaboration since their marriage. During the conversation, Gupta compared love to a car that drives itself, allowing people to enjoy the journey without having to control every turn. Agreeing with the idea, Rashmika said relationships still require consistent effort, even when love comes naturally. She observed that people often make considerable efforts for others but sometimes neglect the people closest to them. Rashmika said couples may gradually stop exchanging simple expressions of care, such as wishing each other good morning, asking how they are doing or showing interest in their day. Over time, partners may assume that such expressions are unnecessary because the other person already knows how they feel, she explained. This can eventually lead to questions about why those small gestures have disappeared. She added that couples should continue making such efforts regardless of how long they have been together or whether they are married and have children. According to Rashmika, love should feel natural, but people should also willingly express it through small, meaningful actions. When Gupta asked Vijay whether his understanding of love was similar to hers, the actor praised his wife's approach to relationships. “She makes sure she tells me ‘I love you’ at least 10-15 times a day. And she tells me that it's important that I express,” Vijay said. He explained that although he constantly feels love for his wife, he sometimes needs a reminder that feelings should also be communicated through words. Vijay said Rashmika has helped him understand how the demands of everyday life can cause people to overlook simple but important gestures in a relationship. He also praised her maturity in understanding relationships, saying her approach has influenced how he expresses his feelings. Meanwhile, their upcoming film Ranabaali draws inspiration from one of the darkest chapters in Indian history — the devastating Madras Famine of 1876-78. The film is scheduled to be released in theatres on October 16. Source: NDTV

The Photoseum Foundation, a government-registered foundation seeking to establish a photography-centred museum in Dhaka, has formally begun its activities with the first meeting of its nine-member Trustee Board on Saturday. Ekushey Padak-winning photographer and writer Nasir Ali Mamun, founder of the foundation, will serve as the president of the Trustee Board. Mamun is widely regarded as a pioneer of portrait photography in Bangladesh. The board comprises Mir Moinul Omar as general secretary and KM Haris Adil as treasurer, while Anisul Hoque, Dr Bimal Guha, Dr Mohammad Abdul Hai Siddiqui, Dr Saymon Zakaria, Dr Kudrat-E-Huda and Fakir Mohammad Abdul Mannan are members. The foundation said its core concept is to establish a photography-centred museum through crowdfunding and called on interested individuals and institutions at home and abroad to extend financial support to the initiative. According to the foundation, Photoseum is envisioned as possibly the first photography-centred museum in South Asia. The museum will be established in Dhaka as a public-interest cultural institution dedicated to preserving and permanently displaying people, time and history through photography. Its planned permanent collection will include selected portraits of prominent personalities from Bangladesh and around the world, along with their handwritten autographs, manuscripts, diaries, letters and other unique personal belongings. The museum will also feature artworks and self-portraits created by notable personalities, as well as previously unpublished audio-visual materials from Mamun’s collection spanning nearly six decades. Rare negatives and gelatin silver prints will also be preserved and displayed through modern curatorial methods, the foundation said. Photoseum considers photographs not merely images but important visual records that can preserve individual lives, the social and political realities of particular periods, historical events and memories of a disappearing world. Preserving such photographs as historical documents for future generations is one of the foundation’s key objectives, it said. The first Trustee Board meeting brought the long-standing initiative under a formal legal and institutional framework, marking a new phase in the establishment of the proposed museum.

Doctors are renewing warnings about the risks energy drinks pose to children and teenagers, citing their high caffeine content and potential to cause serious health problems. The warning comes after a newly formed coalition of doctors urged the Big 12 Conference to pause its sponsorship deal with Monster Energy and called on the NCAA to review energy drink marketing aimed at young people. The doctors cited the deaths of three children, including 16-year-old South Carolina student Davis Cripe, who died in 2017 after consuming an energy drink. “He chugged an energy drink — like, just trying to be cool,” Davis' father, Sean Cripe, recalled. Doctors say excessive caffeine can cause abnormal heart rhythms, increased heart rate, sleep problems, dehydration, agitation, high blood pressure and seizures. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children and teens avoid energy drinks altogether. A federally funded Monitoring the Future survey found that 23 percent of 12th graders, 20 percent of 10th graders and 18 percent of eighth graders reported consuming energy drinks daily. Depending on the product, a serving can contain 80 to 300 milligrams of caffeine. The pediatrics academy recommends limiting caffeine to 100 milligrams a day for those aged 12 to 18, while younger children are discouraged from consuming caffeine. Dr. Matthew Nelson, an Idaho cardiologist involved in the campaign, said energy drink sponsorships could make children mistake the products for sports drinks. “The kids will think of them as sports drinks, which they’re not,” he said. Dr. Tamara Hannon, an Indiana pediatrician, said caffeine and other stimulants increase heart rate and nervous system activity, potentially overwhelming the body. Children with conditions such as high blood pressure face greater risks, but excessive stimulant intake can also harm otherwise healthy children, including athletes. Davis had no known heart condition and had consumed a Mountain Dew and a McDonald's latte earlier that day before drinking the energy drink and suffering an arrhythmia, according to the coroner. “We didn’t understand they could be deadly,” Sean Cripe said. The American Beverage Association said its members voluntarily disclose caffeine levels on labels and do not sell or market energy drinks in K-12 schools. Monster said more than 100 billion energy drinks have been sold and safely consumed worldwide over more than 30 years. The Big 12-Monster deal includes the company's logo on football and basketball jerseys, fields and courts, as well as digital and social media platforms. The NCAA said it lacks authority over conference and school sponsorship agreements but provides educational resources on caffeine and student-athlete health. Health officials advise parents, teachers and coaches to educate children about excessive caffeine and the difference between energy drinks and sports drinks, which are designed to replace fluids and electrolytes lost during exercise. “We just pray parents will use our stories, our tragedies, our grief, to have an impact on their own kids,” Cripe said.

The man who was taken from a Dhaka home at dawn on August 30, 1971, is the man whose tune we sing as we walk barefoot every February 21 in the dawn procession. What happened after he was taken has no grave and no record. All that remains are the memories of a few people who came back from the very edge of death. Some of those memories made it onto the stage at Chhayanaut auditorium on Saturday evening. Smriti 71 organized a program on the liberation war of Shaheed Altaf Mahmud, composer of "Amar Bhaier Rokte Rangano Ekushey February," and the astonishing survival stories of his comrades. The biggest news of the evening came right at the start. On behalf of Smriti 71, it was announced that a research grant will be offered to recover Altaf Mahmud's lost songs. Making the announcement in his welcome address, Faruk H Khan said: "Altaf Mahmud left behind not one song but many. A large part of them is lost today. Some exist in no recording, some are fading in people's memories. The tune that gave us Ekushey, we will bring back the rest of it." He called on researchers, music lovers and young people to come forward. That dawn In late August 1971, Dhaka's guerrillas had been robbing the Pakistani army of sleep with one strike after another. On August 29, Badi, Rumi, Jewel and Azad were captured. A lead from one of the detainees brought soldiers to Altaf Mahmud's door. At dawn they found a trunk in his home filled with weapons and ammunition. A singer, a composer, a figure everyone knew as an artist, had been quietly keeping the weapons of the liberation war under his own roof. No one saw him again after that day. It is believed that he was killed in the first week of September, after torture at the army camp in Nakhalpara. The others who were arrested are believed to have met the same fate. Those who came back Taking the stage to speak of those days were comrade and painter Abul Barq Alvi, banker Nasser Bakhtiar, and singers Linu Billah and Khanu Billah. One spent his life in banking, others in music. But in 1971 they were all inside a war where being captured usually meant never returning.

Paris Fashion Week leaned into glamour, bold styling and elaborate presentations as luxury brands sought to attract shoppers amid a prolonged industry slowdown. Saint Laurent opened one of the week's most dramatic shows with giant chandeliers casting golden light over a black outdoor runway, with the Eiffel Tower visible in the background. Catherine Deneuve, Kate Moss, Hailey Bieber and Rami Malek attended, while Jennifer Lopez watched Stella McCartney's show and Rihanna appeared at the presentation by conceptual label Matières Fécales. The spring-summer 2027 collections largely focused on three themes: extravagant glamour, revealing silhouettes and bringing couture-level craftsmanship into everyday clothing. At Saint Laurent, designer Anthony Vaccarello marked his 10th anniversary with a collection dominated by gold. Safari jackets and trench coats appeared in metallic fabrics, while cocktail dresses featured shimmering lace and cropped jackets came in brocade. The show came as Saint Laurent's parent company Kering seeks stronger growth. The label has benefited from improving demand in the United States and Europe while sister brand Gucci continues to struggle. Chloé designer Chemena Kamali embraced elaborate textures, combining lace, pearls, tassels and broderie anglaise. Stella McCartney presented relaxed tailoring, knitted designs and dolphin motifs on denim while highlighting ocean conservation. Revealing styles were also prominent. Tom Ford featured sharp tailoring alongside bare chests, fishnet, skimpy swimwear and silk robes. Balmain showcased corsets, garters and bras beneath cropped jackets, while Rick Owens presented sculptural gowns and elaborate tulle designs. Balenciaga focused on craftsmanship, using detailed stitching to reshape shirts, T-shirts and jeans. Loewe, celebrating its 180th anniversary, emphasized soft leather and wearable designs. At Place de la République, Matières Fécales presented a collection titled “The 99 Percent,” featuring shredded denim and protest-inspired looks. Despite the spectacle, the luxury industry faces financial pressure. Bain & Company estimates about 60 million consumers have stopped buying luxury goods since 2022 as prices have risen sharply.

The 157th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi was commemorated at the High Commission of India in Dhaka on Friday with a programme highlighting his ideals of truth, non-violence and selfless service. The programme, organised by the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre (IGCC) of the High Commission, began with poster-making and quiz competitions for university and college students from across Dhaka. Renowned Bangladeshi quiz master Ferdous Bappy led the competitions, which focused on Gandhi’s life, ideas and legacy. Addressing the gathering, Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi recalled Gandhi’s enduring message of truth, non-violence and selfless service, and highlighted the continuing relevance of his ideals in contemporary society.

Bangladeshi artist Dr. Abu Kalam Shamsuddin’s solo exhibition ‘The Song of Agony: Arishadvarga’ opened at La Galerie of Alliance Française de Dhaka (AFD) on Friday, exploring six inner forces of human nature and their impact on people, relationships and the natural environment. Visual artist and Art Bangla Foundation Chairman Prof Mohammad Eunus, former Rajshahi University Faculty of Fine Arts professor Dr Siddhartha Shankar Talukder and Jagannath University Faculty of Fine Arts Dean Prof Dr Bazur Rashid Khan attended the opening ceremony. Inspired by the Indian philosophical concept of Arishadvarga, also known as Shadripu, the exhibition focuses on Kama (excessive desire), Krodha (anger), Lobha (greed), Moha (delusion or attachment), Mada (pride) and Matsarya (jealousy). Through a series of paintings, Shamsuddin examines how these impulses influence human behaviour and shape relationships, while also drawing attention to their wider consequences for nature.

Music fills a small dance studio in Burkina Faso's western city of Bobo-Dioulasso, with vibrations traveling through the rubber-covered floor as Yaya Sanou uses his face and body movements to guide a group of deaf and non-verbal dancers. Unable to hear the music, the dancers follow its rhythm through vibrations, touch and visual signals using a technique developed by Sanou. Known as Vibra-Signe, the method has gained attention both in Burkina Faso and abroad through the performances of the Fientan dance company, which Sanou founded about a decade ago for deaf and hard-of-hearing dancers. The technique combines vibrations, touch and visual cues to translate music into movements. Dancers perform barefoot so they can feel percussion through the floor, while taps, hand signs, gestures and facial expressions help them follow changes in tempo and emotion. Fientan won a gold medal for dance creation at the 2023 Francophone Games in Kinshasa, the capital of Congo. The group has also performed its latest production, “Adepte de mon être,” or “Devoted to my being,” in Germany and Ivory Coast. In Burkina Faso, where resources and government support for people with disabilities remain limited, the technique has helped dancers build confidence and improve their social skills. The group's name itself reflects that message. Fientan means “without disability” in the local Dioula language. “This teaching method is an opportunity for us and also a solution to a problem,” dancer Adama Sanou said through sign language. “It gives young people the possibility to express themselves and say what they want to say.” Teaching and empowering deaf dancersYaya Sanou began dancing years ago on the streets of Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso's second-largest city. He combined traditional dances he learned at home with modern styles. He later noticed that children at the Institut des Jeunes Sourds du Faso, a local school for deaf children and others with disabilities, had few opportunities to socialize. Sanou decided to teach them dance and eventually developed the Vibra-Signe technique as his group attracted more children from Bobo-Dioulasso and surrounding areas. He said learning the method can take time because dancers must become familiar with following vibrations, rhythm and body movements. But he said the results have been rewarding for both him and his students. “With this project, we give these young people the possibility to express themselves and to say what they want to say,” he said. Limited support for deaf childrenThere is no recent official data on the number of deaf and hard-of-hearing people in Burkina Faso. The country's 2019 census recorded about 46,500 people aged 2 and older who had significant difficulty hearing or could not hear at all. Burkina Faso, a country of about 24 million people, has introduced education programs and other measures aimed at improving the lives of people with disabilities. However, rights advocates and experts say there are still shortages of teachers, sign-language interpreters and other support services. American Sign Language is taught in schools, but it does not necessarily match the local languages used by families at home. Many deaf children also do not learn sign language until they start school, sometimes as late as age 10. A study by Burkina Faso's Institute of Social Sciences found that 58% of respondents had a negative perception of deafness, with some viewing it as a “curse” or “spiritual punishment.” Disability advocate Philo Camara said Vibra-Signe could help promote inclusion for children with disabilities and could potentially be adapted for use in education and other programs. Dance offers a new pathAt Fientan's studio in Bobo-Dioulasso, dancers have developed their own ways of communicating and identifying themselves. Souleymane Barro, a 24-year-old deaf dancer, uses a sign that combines the letters “B” and “S” from his name. “As a deaf person, it is difficult to get ahead,” Barro said. “But I am working to become a professional and teach the younger ones to dance.” Some dancers have also faced opposition from their families because of traditional attitudes. “When I suggested it to my father, he did not like it at first but I kept dancing,” said another dancer named Sanou, who is not related to Yaya Sanou. During a recent rehearsal, children gathered around to watch the dancers. The music played continuously as Sanou guided them with his hands, face and body. The dancers carefully watched him and repeated his movements. Ouaramata Sanou, 26, once watched the group from the sidelines. Joining the dancers, she said, has transformed her life. “Before, I watched people doing things, dancing, and I did nothing,” she said. “But now I dance, and I can travel.”

Bangladeshi artist Dr Abu Kalam Shamsuddin is set to present his solo exhibition ‘The Song of Agony: Arishadvarga’ at La Galerie of Alliance Française de Dhaka (AFD) from Friday. The exhibition, opening at 6 pm on Oct 2, draws on the Indian philosophical concept of Arishadvarga, or Shadripu, referring to six inner enemies of human nature: Kama (desire), Krodha (anger), Lobha (greed), Moha (delusion or attachment), Mada (pride) and Matsarya (jealousy). Through a series of paintings, Shamsuddin explores how these impulses influence human behaviour and relationships while affecting the balance between humans and nature. The exhibition also encourages viewers to reflect on their own desires, actions and responsibilities. “I feel that, as an artist, I also have a responsibility towards the environment and the world,” the artist said. Beyond individual introspection, the works address the environmental consequences of unchecked desires and self-centred behaviour, highlighting issues including deforestation, ecological imbalance, wildlife protection and the preservation of natural habitats. Shamsuddin has drawn inspiration from the techniques of Ajanta cave paintings and Thangka art, combining them with contemporary materials and textured surfaces. Sand, mud, zinc oxide and acrylic paint are used to create tactile surfaces and asymmetrical compositions. Earthy browns, muted blues, yellow-greens and shades of gold dominate the palette, while the interplay of colour, texture and form explores consciousness, conflict, transformation and spiritual awakening. Gold, in particular, represents the possibility of inner transformation and greater self-awareness. “The exhibition seeks to reveal the hidden connections between human desires, our behaviour, and the natural world, encouraging us to recognise and reconsider the consequences of our actions,” Shamsuddin said. Open to all, the exhibition will remain open to visitors from Oct 3 to 13, daily from 3 pm to 9 pm at La Galerie, Alliance Française de Dhaka, 26 Mirpur Road, Dhanmondi.

British fashion designer Stella McCartney used her Paris Fashion Week show Wednesday to criticize the fishing industry and draw attention to the impact of seafood production on marine life. The show marked 25 years of McCartney's fashion label, which has never used leather, fur or feathers. It was held in the rain-soaked gardens of the British ambassador's residence, with actress and singer Jennifer Lopez among those watching from the front row. McCartney said the language people use to describe marine animals changes depending on whether they are being admired or eaten. “Who makes that decision?” she asked backstage, referring to the use of terms such as “sea life” and “seafood.” She was more direct when discussing the fishing industry. “It's war. We're at war with the oceans,” she said. McCartney said fishing nets can bring up dolphins and octopuses along with fish, with much of the unwanted catch thrown back into the sea dead. Models walked through the gardens to PJ Harvey's song “Down by the Water.” Juliette Binoche sat near Lopez, while Karlie Kloss and Miranda Kerr were among the models on the runway. Sea-inspired designsThe collection reflected the theme through its colors and flowing designs. The palette included seafoam, sage, coral, blush and chocolate. The tailoring, influenced by Savile Row designer Edward Sexton, was relaxed and designed to move like water. Oversized blazers featured drawstrings inspired by rain jackets, while peplums returned in rounded shapes around the hips. Sheer layers revealed bandeaus and short shorts as part of the growing trend of wearing underwear as outerwear. McCartney also brought her signature sportswear style into the collection, pairing fitted leggings with boxy technical jackets. T-shirts featured dolphins appearing to leap through the air. Kloss wore a minidress decorated with small waves across one shoulder, while Kerr appeared in a seafoam-colored gown tied at the waist. Evening gowns wrapped around the body before falling in long, straight shapes inspired by designer Madame Grès. Ruffles at the hems suggested breaking waves. “It's really, really important to want to wear the clothes,” McCartney said. “For me, that's the main thing.” Focus on sustainable materialsThe fashion house described the ready-to-wear collection as “100% responsible,” using recycled cotton denim, organic cotton and silk. It also used a black pigment made from algae instead of oil-based materials. McCartney said the certified wool used by the brand can be traced back to the farms where it is produced. Since 2026, the company has also used Brewed Protein, a wool alternative made through fermentation by Japanese biotechnology company Spiber. A week before the show, McCartney co-founded the Climate Pledge Fashion Coalition with Amazon and forest conservation group Canopy. The initiative brings together orders from more than 60 companies in an effort to help sustainable materials reach large-scale production. McCartney bought back LVMH's minority stake in her fashion label last year but continues to advise LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault on sustainability issues. “I'm advising him on so many things in sustainability,” she said. McCartney ended the show wearing jeans, a white T-shirt and a loose blazer before taking her bow and leaving the runway. Backstage, when questions shifted from ocean conservation to fashion, she asked: “You mean you want to talk about the clothes?” After 25 years, the clothes remain central to her message.