Arts-&-Culture
Boi Mela to be open for 3.5 hours a day due to COVID-19
The daily operational hours for the ongoing traditional Amar Ekushey Book Fair has been changed due to the recent surge in COVID-19 infection rate across the country and the capital.
The new schedule says that the fair will remain open to the book-lovers from 3 pm to 6:30 pm, three and a half hours a day.
Also read: Bangladesh reports record number of 5,358 new daily Covid cases; 52 deaths
Bangla Academy, organiser of the month-long traditional fiesta, announced this on Wednesday.
The notice was announced via a press release signed by Aparesh Kumar Banerjee, director of the public relations department of Bangla Academy, saying, “In consideration to the recent spike in the Coronavirus infection rate, the schedule of Amar Ekushey Book Fair has been changed from 31 March, 2021. The fair will start at 3pm every day and close by 6.30pm, effective from Wednesday.”
Also read: Book fair gradually gains momentum
Originally, the traditional Amar Ekushey Book Fair followed the time schedule of 3 pm to 9 pm in the month of February, and 11am to 9 am on holiday and weekends.
Writers from 4 continents up for International Booker Prize
Chinese writer Can Xue and Kenyan author Ngugi wa Thiong’o, both long-favored contenders for the Nobel Prize for literature, are among nominees for the International Booker Prize for fiction.
Can Xue’s “I Live in the Slums” and Ngugi’s “The Perfect Nine: The Epic of Gikuyu and Mumbi” are among 13 books on the long list for the 50,000 pound ($69,000) prize.
The list announced Tuesday features works from four continents, including “The War of the Poor” by France’s Eric Vuillard, “In Memory of Memory” by Russian writer Maria Stepanova, “The Dangers of Smoking in Bed” by Argentina’s Mariana Enriquez and “Minor Detail” by Palestinian author Adania Shibli.
Writer Lucy Hughes-Hallett, who heads the judging panel, said a theme of many of the books was “migration -- the pain of it, but also the fruitful interconnectedness of the modern world.”
The six finalists are set to be revealed on April 22 and the winner on June 2.
The International Booker Prize is awarded every year to a book of fiction in any language that is translated into English and published in the U.K. or Ireland. It is run alongside the Booker Prize for English-language fiction.
The prize money is split between the book’s author and its translator. Ngugi translated his own novel from his mother tongue, Kikuyu.
Virtual Japan Fest 2021 with Tahsan Wednesday
The Embassy of Japan will host “Japan Fest 2021” online on Wednesday through YouTube channel and Facebook page.
This year you will see Japan through the eyes of famous singer and actor Tahsan Khan.
“Japan Fest 2021 with Tahsan Khan” will feature Covid-19 awareness song he has composed for the festival, a collaborative song with Japanese popular singer Miyazawa Kazufumi, original scores by Tahsan and also a musical appearance of Ambassador of Japan Ito Naoki.
The programme will be streamed on Embassy of Japan YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkf1HU6drZAnnTQNMBxOvaA) at 6pm and also will be broadcast by RTV at 5:30pm on the same day.
'50 Springs of Freedom’ art camp ends in Chattogram
As part of the golden jubilee celebrations of the country’s Independence, a 4-day exclusive Art Camp of Gallery Cosmos titled ’50 Springs of Freedom’ concluded in Chattogram on Sunday.
The camp, with a collective vision to portray the jovial vibes of Spring blossoms blending with the festive occasion of the glorious 50 years celebration of country’s Independence, was hosted by Hidden Her Foundation with support of Cosmos Foundation.
Regarding the camp, Enayetullah Khan, Chairman of the Cosmos Foundation said, "Bangladesh has paved a long route to reach this glorious destination of the Golden Jubilee of our Independence, and we are fortunate to have the beautiful natural landscape alongside many talented, world class Bangladeshi artists. This exclusive art-camp is part of the continuous artistic ventures taken by Gallery Cosmos and Cosmos Foundation, and we are really honored to initiate this special art-camp with all these prolific and talented artists in this special time."
Also read: Gallery Cosmos art camp on PM Hasina begins
Eight leading and promising Bangladeshi painters participated in the four day-long camp at the beautiful setting of Finley Hill in the port city, in quest for exploring the innate and everlasting connection between human and nature, and celebrate the unified harmony of brush, color and canvas through their jovial artistic expertise.
Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, Mayor of Chittagong City Corporation (CCC), visited the Art Camp on Saturday, and lauding the initiative, he said, "An initiative like this in our beautiful and majestic port city Chattogram, celebrating the vibrant color of our 50th Spring is highly appreciated - and I am extremely glad to be here, specially when the country is celebrating the Golden Jubilee of Independence. I truly admire this tremendous initiative taken by Gallery Cosmos and thanking the Hidden Her Foundation for hosting this wonderful Art Camp with support from Cosmos Foundation, participated by all these talented and respected artists in this peaceful and picturesque landscape."
Earlier, Dr Rubana Huq, BGMEA President and Mohammed Rahim, Vice Chairman of DBL Group, were present at the inaugural event of the four-day-long special camp on Friday.
Also read: Zonta Club's ‘Strokes Against Violence' art camp calls for united awareness
“We usually do not see this type of exclusive initiative, especially in a beautiful and peaceful setting like this. I am really honored and pleased to be here among these known faces, in such a glorious occasion, initiated by Gallery Cosmos and hosted by Hidden Her Foundation,” Dr Rubana Huq lauded the camp.
Explaining the initiative, Hidden Her Foundation Founder and Director Sunehra Z Islam said, “We would not have been able to celebrate and enjoy the color of nature in an independent country, if we did not earn our freedom and liberty in such a heroic way. To celebrate the essence of freedom and the vibrant nature of Spring, we are pleased and proud to host this special art-camp."
The list of stalwart participated in the camp is featuring a unique team of eminent and promising artists, including Samarjit Roy Chowdhury, Kanak Chanpa Chakma, Anisuzzaman Anis, Anukul Chandra Mojumder, Azmeer Hossain, Bishwajit Goswami, Abdullah Al Bashir & Mong Mong Sho.
Also read: BSA initiates ‘Art Against Corona’ art camp with 300 artists
"As a proud and independent nation, we have paved a long way through the last 50 Springs. Initiatives and artistic ventures like this, remind us about the unity and harmony that was channeled among the people through the historic March 7th speech of Bangbandhu, which eventually brought us victory and liberty in 1971. Celebrating and showcasing the picturesque beauty of Spring is the motto of this camp, and we are pleased to join this venture," artist Bishwajit Goswami said about the camp.
Regarding the camp, Executive Artistic Manager of Gallery Cosmos Sourav Chowdhury said, "Celebrating the glorious occasion of our 50 years celebration of Independence, alongside harmonizing the artistic essence of 50 Springs that we have explored and celebrated till date, Gallery Cosmos and the host Hidden Her Foundation, is proudly organizing this special art camp with support from the Cosmos Foundation."
News agency United News of Bangladesh (UNB) was the Media Partner of the event.
Liberation war memorials in the major cities of Bangladesh
Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Walter Hitchcock once said, "freedom is not free." Indeed, it is not free, and freedom is the best achievement for Bangladesh. After a nine months long great liberation war, we achieved our independence. During those nine months, the Pakistani aggressors killed three million innocent people in Bangladesh.
Memorials and sculptures have been erected in different parts of the country to keep alive the memory of those martyrs who gave their lives in the liberation war. Here we will discuss the liberation war memorials in the major cities of Bangladesh.
1971's Independence war monuments in the major cities of Bangladesh
Dhaka
Dhaka has many liberation war memorials; however, the National Martyr's Memorial is the most significant one. It is located in Savar, which is 25 kilometers away from Dhaka. The monument was designed by Syed Mainul Hossain, and it was dedicated to all three million martyrs.
National Martyr's Memorial's unique design consists of seven triangular-shaped structures; each signifies the seven historical moments that formed independent Bangladesh. The moments are 1952's Language Movement, 1954's legislative election victory United Front, the Constitution Movement in 1956, 1962's Education Movement, 1966's 6-point movement, 1969's Mass Uprising, and finally 1971's Liberation war. This iconic design has 150 feet spanning height, and it is our national symbol.
Read Top Sculptures in Dhaka City
Chattogram
Chattogram is said to be the birthplace of the independence movement. But even in the five decades of independence, the memorial of the liberation war was not built in Chattogram metropolis. However, a Shaheed Minar named 'Sobedhon Nilmini' was built in 1969 in front of the Nandan Kanan Muslim Institute Hall in Chittagong to tribute the language martyrs. But this Shaheed Minar has been used to pay homage to all national days.
Apart from this, there are two monuments in Patiya and Raozan Upazilas of Chittagong. Although the Bangladesh government has made the announcement to build a liberation war memorial in Chattogram, it has not seen any ray of hope yet.
Read Top Historical Landmarks in Dhaka Reminding Liberation War of 1971
Sylhet
Banshtala Memorial in Sylhet is not just a memorial; it contains the graves of 14 freedom fighters who were martyred in the liberation war. It is surrounded by the Meghalaya mountains, which are located in Banshtala village of Doarabazar Upazila of Sunamganj district.
Bangabandhu's 101st birth anniversary observed across cultural sphere
Celebrating the 101st birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation and the founding president of Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and National Children’s Day, cultural organizations arranged seminars and cultural events on Wednesday.
Afro-South Asia in the Global African Diaspora
In a fascinating international webinar titled ‘Afro-South Asia in the Global African Diaspora’ which took place as part of a series of intellectual interventions for The Black Story project, a virtual interactive exhibition - Nahar Khan, curator of The Black Story and Executive Director of Gallery Cosmos and Cosmos Foundation, and Dr Kenneth X Robbins, who is a well-known and prolific researcher, archivist and curator of historical pieces and artworks, delve into conversations recently, on the historical and unexplored ties between the African and South Asian communities.
Alongside being a collector and an independent scholar, Dr Robbins has curated more than a dozen Indian exhibits and five scholarly conferences. In addition to publishing more than 120 articles, he co-edited a three-volume series on Afro-South Asia in the Global African Diaspora; addressing ‘African Rulers and Generals in India’, ‘African Diasporan Communities Across South Asia’ and ‘Black Ambassadors of Politics, Religion and Jazz in India’.
Ekushey Book Fair set to begin Thursday amid worrying Covid spike
After the postponement during its traditional month of February, the Amar Ekushey Book Fair-2021 finally begins on Thursday at the Bangla Academy premises and the adjacent venue at Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital.
Saluting the strength of the fairer sex
Chorusing this year’s slogan 'Choose to Challenge', renowned cultural organisations Monday observed International Women’s Day through various programmes, featuring powerful discussions and cultural shows.