United News of Bangladesh

To preserve the memory of July and revive the spirit of the July Movement among everyone, the anti-fascist photo exhibition organised by Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir has concluded at National Museum at Shahbagh. Titled 'Frame-a-Bondi 36 July: Obbhyutthyan er Purbapor’ (‘Framed Memories on 36 July: Before and After the Coup') the display came to a close on Monday. The three-day exhibition began earlier on Saturday (December 7) with the inauguration announced by Shibir’s central president Monzurul Islam at the Poet Sufia Kamal Auditorium of the National Museum. Musical Instrument Exhibition 'Harmony of Healing' begins at AFD Concluded with the closing announcement by Secretary General of Islami Chhatra Shibir Jahidul Islam on Monday, the exhibition showcased historic photographs highlighting the moments of the July 36 Movement, and shed the spotlight on the stories behind the movement and its martyrs' sacrifices, the consequences of the mass uprising, and the brave struggle of the students against the dictatorship.

Justin Sun, a Chinese cryptocurrency entrepreneur and art collector known for purchasing the famous $6.2 million banana taped to a wall at auction, has proposed buying 100,000 more bananas from the Bangladeshi vendor who sold the original fruit for just 25 cents. This unexpected offer has sparked excitement and practical challenges for the vendor, Shah Alam, 74, and the fruit stand’s owner, Mohammad R. Islam, reports The New York Times. Entrepreneur who purchased a banana artwork for $6.2 million eats the fruit in Hong Kong The original “artwork”, sold at Sotheby’s in New York, captured worldwide attention for its price and conceptual nature. Sun now seeks to buy bananas worth about $25,000 from Alam’s stand near Sotheby’s. However, sourcing this quantity from the Bronx wholesale market and handling logistics, including packaging and transport, pose significant hurdles and costs. Alam, who earns $12 per hour working 12-hour shifts, clarified that any profit from the bulk sale would go to the stand’s owner. Alam estimated only a modest $6,000 profit would remain after expenses. “There’s not any profit in selling bananas,” Alam said, underlining the stark difference between the art piece’s exorbitant cost and the realities of running a fruit stand, the report also said. Sun, who has a history of purchasing unique and costly artworks, commented on the challenges in a text after a news event in Hong Kong, where he ate the original banana. “I am not personally familiar with the exact cost of the bananas,” he wrote, emphasising that the goal was to support Alam and highlight the artistic symbolism of the banana Fruit stand owner Islam, 53, said he would consider sharing any potential profits with Alam and other employees. He learned about Sun’s proposal from a reporter and expressed concern over its impact. Online support for Alam has grown, with two fundraising campaigns raising over $20,000, underscoring public interest in addressing the economic disparity highlighted by the original sale, added the report. Alam’s brother, Mohammad Alam Badsha, who also works at the stand, shared his view on Thanksgiving Day. He acknowledged the potential of accepting the bulk sale but pointed out it would not substantially change the vendors’ circumstances or address the deep inequality exposed by the $6.2 million price tag. “It’s definitely an inequality,” Badsha said, using a Bengali saying to describe the vast difference as “the difference between heaven and hell.”

“Harmony of Healing', an exhibition featuring traditional and innovative musical instruments from the region, presented by Mohammad Jakir Hossain, begun at La Galerie of Alliance Française de Dhaka (AFD) in Dhaka on Monday. Music artist Baul Shafi Mondol attended the exhibition as a special guest, and François Grosjean, director of the Alliance Française de Dhaka, also participated in the inauguration, among others. Jakir Hossain, born in 1994 in Gaibandha, studied music in Kolkata from 2016 to 2022, where he learned various forms, including Indian classical, Bengali folk, Tagore songs, and modern music. After returning to Bangladesh, he explored the impact of music on humanism and healing. In 2018, he founded “Obokalpo”, an initiative focused on preserving and developing traditional and experimental music while nurturing art and culture in vulnerable regions of Bangladesh. In addition to the display of experimental indigenous musical instruments, the exhibition will feature seminars, workshops, and Bengali folk music performances. Lucy Tripti Gomes curated the exhibition. Acrobatics featuring trained artists enthralls BSA The exhibition is open to all and will run until Friday, November 29, from Monday to Saturday, 3 pm to 9 pm.

On Saturday evening, the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) hosted a unique 'Acrobatic Show' at the National Theatre Hall auditorium in the capital. The acrobatic show was organized by the Theater and Film Department of BSA, as the academy is currently working in a variety of methods to advance the popular acrobatic art form. The acrobatic team of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, which received special training from China, presented several enthralling performances featuring Rope Round Bill, Ariel Hoop, Blanket Balance, Barrel Balance, Chair Setting, Mount Skill, Diabo Balance, Fire/Bump, Ring Dance, Roller Balance, Ring Jump and more. At the event, the Director General of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Dr Syed Jamil Ahmed said, "The art of Acrobatics has gained wide popularity for several hundred years. It was mentioned in "Mahua Pala" written in 1650, proving that acrobatics was already popular before that period; but today, its remnants survive somewhere in a dilapidated condition - and the circus that was popular during the British period is hardly seen today.” "Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy thanks the state and people of China for helping to revive this almost lost heritage of Bangladesh, and I request our trained acrobats and their instructors to make acrobatics a part of our heritage. I also want the audience to stand by the circus, because Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy can take the circus back to a strong position with your undivided support,” Syed Jamil concluded.. The program was broadcast live from the official Facebook page of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.  

The Ministry of Cultural Affairs on Thursday announced seven innovative projects aimed at engaging youth and revitalizing Bangladesh's cultural landscape in the wake of the July Revolution. The announcement came during a press conference at the Secretariat, chaired by Cultural Affairs Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki. The seven initiatives, designed to foster creativity and inclusivity, are: 'Remembering Monsoon Revolution,' 'Youth Festival,' 'Countrywide Talent Hunt,' 'Digital Oral History Project,' 'Bangla Academy Creative Writing Workshop and Research Project,' 'Installation of Modern Video Projection System at the National Museum,' and 'Show-Creator Workshops.' Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki emphasized the projects’ significance in promoting cultural unity and diversity. “The establishment of a cultural bridge is crucial after the revolution,” he said. “We want to ensure that Bangladesh represents everyone—many people, many religions, many languages, and all cultures will be at the center of our policy. There will be no space for religious discrimination.” In the written statement of the ministry, it was informed that 'Remembering Monsoon Revolution' will create new enthusiasm and new wave among the youth of Bangladesh. As part of this project, 8 visual content creation workshops will be organized in 8 categories by 8 top Bangladeshi creators, and 8 medium length visual content will be produced as output of the workshop while 8 new theater productions will also be created and staged. An album of Nazrul's songs will be made with youth-favorite local artists of the country and a concert will be organized centrally in Dhaka on the occasion of its release. This concert will be telecast across the country. Besides, the July Revolution-centric photography, paintings and cartoons will be exhibited in the country through major exhibitions, according to the Ministry. A grand 'Youth Festival' will take place from December 30 to February 8 next year, where the Ministry of Cultural Affairs will organize cultural events across the country. As part of the countrywide talent search program, the ministry will organize a countrywide talent search program with the aim of creating a new cultural awakening among Bangladeshi children, adolescents and youth. 'Digital Oral History Project' will include a large-scale digital archiving. Millions of participants in the 'Remembering Monsoon Revolution' will have their involvement history captured by video cameras and compiled, and these videos will be displayed everywhere. For aspiring authors, Bangla Academy will publish books and offer creative writing classes. In addition, 10 one-year research fellowships and funds for fifty research papers will be granted to the aspiring researchers, as part of the 'Bangla Academy Creative Writing Workshop and Research Project'. Besides, it was also revealed that the projection system in the National Museum auditoriums will be modernized to screen international films, documentaries and other visual content along with stage performances throughout the year, and the ‘Show-Creator Workshops’ will be organized for the promising youth of Bangladesh with experienced trainers of internationally renowned OTT platforms. Syed Jamil Ahmed, Director General of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, and Mohammad Azam, Director General of Bangla Academy, joined other ministry officials in presenting these initiatives.  

The ICCROM Regional Centre in Sharjah will announce the winners of the 4th ICCROM-Sharjah Award for Good Practices in Cultural Heritage Preservation and the 3rd Arab Cultural Heritage Award for the Young on November 28 2024. The ceremony will begin at 9:00 am at ICCROM-Sharjah, according to a press release on Thursday. The event will recognise outstanding efforts in preserving Arab cultural heritage. Awards include the Grand Award for Good Practices, and two Honorary Awards for Community Engagement and Conservation and Innovation. It also celebrates Arab youth creativity in drawing, photography, awareness films, and folkloric dance through the Arab Cultural Heritage Award for the Young. Winners in these categories will participate in training workshops in arts, photography, and directing before the ceremony. Historian and architect Professor Nasser Rabbat, Aga Khan Professor at MIT, will be honoured for his significant contributions to Islamic architecture and heritage through his academic and research achievements. This year, 18 projects from 12 Arab countries, including the UAE, Bahrain, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen, were shortlisted from 55 nominations for the ICCROM-Sharjah Award. These projects highlight efforts to preserve historical architecture, protect archaeological sites, and safeguard tangible heritage. The awards underscore ICCROM-Sharjah's dedication to conserving cultural heritage, promoting best practices, and fostering international knowledge exchange. By spotlighting successful initiatives, the program aims to inspire others, strengthen professional networks, and enhance public appreciation of cultural heritage in the Arab region.  

Since October 7 last year, 191 journalists and media workers have been killed as Israel is targeting and killing Palestinian journalists to suppress media coverage of the massacre in Gaza. To protest against this targeted killing of Palestinian journalists, an exhibition titled ‘Gaza Holocaust: Killing the Truthtellers’ was organised by Drik Picture Library this afternoon at Dhanmondi's Rabindra Sarobar. Along with Drik family members and friends, visitors present at the venue stood in solidarity with photographs of journalists who died fighting for the liberation of Palestine. Earlier this year, on May 5, to mark World Press Freedom Day 2024, Drik organised a 7-day exhibition under the same title and a panel discussion at DrikPath Bhaban in Panthapath. In the introduction to the exhibition, which aimed to pay tribute to the media persons killed in Gaza, eminent photographer and Drik’s Managing Director Shahidul Alam described, “With access to international media denied by Israel, the Palestinian journalists were the sole witnesses to the destruction of hospitals, where healing hands once laboured to save desperate lives and abandoned children lay in deserted incubators, to mass graves with people buried alive.” “They saw hungry people queuing outside food trucks gunned down and pregnant mothers, breasts dry and hearts heavy, buried under rubble. They saw too much, said too much and were plucked off, like carnival ducks in a shooting arcade, one by one. Sometimes alone, sometimes with families. Drones guided by technology giants honing in on the death trail of their mobile phones.” “These brave journalists, in their sacrifice, have ignited the flame of conscience. They were more than flesh and bone. Martyrs to the sacred art of truth telling, their lens a mirror reflecting humanity’s darkest corners. The weight of their stories presses upon our collective conscience.“ according to Shahidul Alam. This solidarity exhibition is part of resistance to Israeli aggression and commitment to liberating Palestine with the call for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the ongoing genocide.

Goethe-Institut Bangladesh, in partnership with Alliance Française de Dhaka (AFD), presented an evening with the Franco-German Jazz Trio featuring Luise Volkmann (saxophone), Max Andrzejewski (drums), and Paul Jarret (guitar) recently at the AFD, Dhanmondi, in Dhaka. As part of a successful regional jazz tour of the trio, the concert enamoured the Dhaka audiences on Sunday, November 10. Prior to the concert, Frank Werner, Director of the Goethe-Institut Bangladesh, and François Grosjean, Director of the Alliance Française de Dhaka, welcomed the Franco-German musicians and audience with brief speeches. The concert was marked by a journey through playful elegance and energetic flow, inviting the audience to experience the trio's deeply emotional and innovative approach to jazz. Their performance brought a refreshing soundscape to Dhaka, leaving a lasting impression on the city's jazz enthusiasts. The Volkmann/Jarret/Andrzejewski trio was founded in 2023 because Volkmann had carte blanche for a new line-up at the Hanover Jazz Festival. The trio plays a convincing mixture of simple folk songs and improvised sound collages. All band members are instrumentalists as well as outstanding composers, all of whom have already written for large formations. In the trio's interplay, this knowledge of instrumentation and form is condensed into an energetic yet fragile performance that is deeply emotional. The concert featured an evocative selection of tracks depicting playful elegance in the music that took the audience on a musical journey, including "All My Forces” by Louise Volkmann, “My Ground” by Louise Volkmann, “Kitzel Skizze” by Louise Volkmann, “Roam Free” by Paul Jarret, “Odd Western by Paul Jarret, “#18” by Max Andrzejewski, and “Opposite You” by Luise Volkmann. This carefully curated setlist highlighted the trio's innovative approach, blending playful elegance with energetic flow, and left a lasting impression on Dhaka's jazz enthusiasts.

French artist-educator Élise Grosjean's exclusive solo exhibition 'Finely Tiny' was inaugurated at La Galerie, Alliance Française de Dhaka (AFD), in the capital’s Dhanmondi on Friday evening. A special artist talk, 'Mathematics and Art: Exploring the Connections' preceded the exhibition at 5pm. Art critic Moinuddin Khaled attended the event as the special guest. From a young age, Élise Grosjean began her artistic journey by drawing on her skin with henna and later transitioning to paper. To escape the monotony of school, she found solace in covering her diaries with imaginative drawings. This early passion for art persisted, even as her academic path took an unexpected turn. Elise pursued an academic career, becoming a Doctor of Mathematics (PhD in Mathematics) and an assistant professor at ENSTA-Paris, a prestigious engineering school. Her research focuses on the development of numerical methods to simulate physical phenomena. Besides solving complex mathematical equations, Élise finds every excuse to draw, experimenting with a wide range of techniques, including pencils, inks, oil paint, acrylic, watercolor, pigments, collages, henna, and even salt dough. What connects her two seemingly divergent passions—mathematics and art—is her love for intricate geometric patterns. This connection is especially evident in her paintings Classroom and Roméo & Juliette – Mathematician Version, both of which will be featured. The exhibition will remain open to all, daily from 3pm to 9pm, till Saturday, November 9.

Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) will kick off the 2024 Jatra Festival on Friday at the open stage (Mukto Moncho) of Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka. This year’s festival will feature seven Jatra teams from different districts of Bangladesh, performing daily from 6 PM to 9 PM until November 7. The performances will be based on historical and social events. “Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy believes that art is at the centre of public life. We learned morality in childhood by watching social journeys, but over time, the Jatra industry has diverged in a different direction, and we need to address that situation. The Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy is working to bring traditional Jatrapala back into public life through performance, development, practice, and the patronage of Jatra artists," said Prof Dr Syed Jamil Ahmed, Director General of BSA. Israfil Majumdar, a participant in the student-led mass revolution, will be the chief guest, while eminent Jatra artist Anima Dey will attend as a special guest at the inaugural ceremony. Faiz Zahir, Director of the BSA Theatre and Film Department, will deliver the welcome speech at the programme, which will be presided over by the BSA DG. The first show of the seven Jatrapala performances, Nihoto Golap, will take place at 7 PM. Presented by Surovi Opera, the Jatrapala is directed by Kabir Khan.