arts-culture
Top 15 Heritage Sites of Bangladesh
Heritage sites are cultural and natural treasures that provide a glimpse into the rich history and traditions of a country or region. These sites hold significant historical, architectural, or cultural value and are preserved for future generations. Bangladesh, a country brimming with captivating stories and ancient wonders, boasts a plethora of such heritage sites. Keep reading as we go over 15 must-visit heritage sites in Bangladesh.
15 Most Well-known Heritage Sites in Bangladesh
Sundarbans
The Sundarbans, located in Khulna, in the southwestern part of Bangladesh, is the world's largest mangrove forest and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. It covers approximately 10,000 square kilometres and is known for its rich biodiversity.
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Inaugural edition of 'Dhaka Makers' showcases a convivial urban rendezvous
Offering a unique and refreshing cultural breathing space to residents of the capital, Dhaka Makers raised the curtain on its inaugural event HSBC presents Dhaka Makers’ Week at the city’s Aloki Convention Center in Tejgaon.
The initiators of the event, collectively known as the Dhaka Makers - emerged with a vision to help the creative communities of Dhaka through a one-of-a-kind arts and crafts festival that would provide an opportunity for independent creators to establish their brands, collaborate with fellow artists, and share their expertise with a wide array of audiences.
The inauguration ceremony was held on the first day, initiated by the team which comprises creative inspired artists and doers - Fahd Sattar, Istela Imam, Maruful Hoque, Fairose Yasmin, Maleena Gomez, Tahsin N Choudhury, Mahenaz Chowdhury, Umaila Akhter, Zafir Huq, Taiara Farhana Tareque, and Mariha Q Chowdhury.
Anusheh Anadil and Durjoy Rahman were guests of honour at the inauguration ceremony. After their speeches, the ceremony was followed by a live performance by Bengal Parampara Sangeetalay.
Through the first-ever Dhaka Makers’ Week, the team took their first step in fostering the local arts and culture scene through an offline platform that engages artists from all creative spheres.
Their objective was to create a vibrant and inclusive environment that celebrates the city’s innovative talent through thoughtfully curated spaces – where the “Makers” or collective artisans were able to exhibit their work, sell their products, and conduct interactive workshops.
Moheener Ghoraguli lost its founding member Tapas Bapi Das to cancer
One of the founding members of the pioneering Indian Bangla rock band ‘Moheener Ghoraguli’, and renowned songwriter, guitarist, and music connoisseur Tapas Bapi Das, who was battling lung cancer, passed away this morning.
He breathed his last at the SSKM Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal, according to several media reports.
Moheener Ghoraguli, and through the band, Tapas, revolutionised Bangla music since 1974 with a unique amalgamation of baul, jazz, folk and rock music that was complemented with melodious, soulful sounds and meaningful lyrics. Tapas was one of the most highly revered artistes in West Bengal.
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He had been battling lung cancer for a while and was in its third stage, receiving chemotherapy. Artistes in both West Bengal and Bangladesh were raising funds for his treatment ever since the news of his illness broke in January, and the West Bengal government was taking care of his treatment.
A fundraising concert by 40 leading Bangladeshi artistes for his treatment was scheduled to take place on July 14 at the Liberation War Museum in Dhaka.
Born on September 22, 1954, in Kolkata, Tapas became one of the founding members of ‘Moheneer Ghoraguli’ in 1974 alongside its original lineup -- Gautam Chattopadhyay, Ranjon Ghoshal, Pradip Chatterjee, Biswanath Bishu Chattopadhyay, Tapesh Bandopadhyay and Abraham Mazumdar. This original line-up performed together till 1978.
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After the disintegration of the band, Tapas became the mastermind and mentor behind the next-generation Bangla band ‘Moheen Ekhon O Bondhura’ in 2015.
Tapas is credited as the co-lyricist, composer, and singer of many popular tracks of ‘Moheener Ghoraguli’ including "Haay, Bhalobasi," "Bheshe Ashey Kolkata," "Shudhijon Shono,” "Ayee Surey Bohudurey" and more.
Eventholic, the organizer of the scheduled fundraising concert in Bangladesh for the legendary artiste, posted on its official Facebook page: “Even though he lost his battle with cancer, he at least got to know about this initiative, and he expressed his joy when we first discussed this concert with him. We even signed some t-shirts by him last night.”
“A tribute concert will surely take place, as we really want to stand beside his wife, Sutapa Das, and details will be revealed after two days. The show must go on,” says the post.
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Bangladesh Press Photo Contest 2023 at Drik: Narrating stories beyond lenses
Showcasing 31 photographs by 23 local photojournalists — with engaging stories from across the nation — a group exhibition titled ‘Bangladesh Press Photo Contest 2023’ is currently underway at the DrikPath Bhobon, Panthapath in Dhaka.
An exclusive initiative organised by Drik Picture Library, the exhibition curated by ASM Rezaur Rahman, showcases the winning and selected photographs from the 2nd annual Bangladesh Press Photo Contest. Drik launched the contest last year, lauding the practice of meaningful storytelling through quality photojournalism in the country.
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Inaugurated by renowned journalist and New Age Editor Nurul Kabir on Friday, the exhibition awarded seven photographers in three categories. The award for Picture of the Year 2022 was awarded to Abdul Goni from the daily Ittefaq, who received the award for his work titled ‘A Lonely Battle’.
Md Shamsul Haque Suza from Daily Global Nation received the award in the category of Arts, Culture and Sports, while United News of Bangladesh (UNB) photojournalist Abu Sufian Jewel received the honourable mention award in this category.
Mamun Hossain from the daily Kazir Bazar received the best award in the category of Politics, while the honourable mention went to Quddus Alam from Focus Bangla. Sardar Mohammad Rafiul Islam from BPS received the best award in the Public Interest Journalism category while the honourable mention went to Md Rafayat Haque Khan from Zuma Press.
Sharing his experience of being awarded the top prize in the competition which received more than 1500 photographs this year, Abdul Goni told UNB that he is elated. “This is the first time I have been awarded the top prize in any competition in my career and I am grateful to the judges for this honour,” he said.
Read: Curtain rises on 25th National Art Exhibition at BSA
“On April 15 last year when a fire broke out in a plastic factory in the capital's Shaheed Nagar area, I saw a courageous elderly individual trying earnestly to put out the fire from the balcony of a nearby building. He was alone in the building as everyone was already moving out fearing the massive fire, and while even the fire brigade was facing a hard time against the fire, he stood against the flame with just a hose pipe.
“I struggled to capture this image because this symbolized courage to me, and I believe even if we stand alone but in unity against havoc and calamities like these, we can always hope for a better tomorrow,” Goni told UNB.
Two photographs of UNB photojournalist Abu Sufian Jewel are being displayed at the exhibition. One of the pictures, showing some children engaging in a spirited game of football in the picturesque hills of the Nilachal area, Bandarban, received the honourable mention award in the Arts, Culture and Sports category.
“I captured the moment in September last year which took me back to my childhood; and even without many urban facilities that children in the cities get, they were enjoying their afternoon on the eve of the FIFA World Cup 2022 through a sport which has always been immensely popular in the country. I am grateful to the judges and Drik for considering me for the honourable mention award in the category,” Jewel told UNB.
“All these images are narrating outstanding visual stories, and the contexts of these photographs are familiar to us in the setting of our country. These photographs are really fascinating and the dedication of the photojournalists is vividly reflected in each photograph,” Nafisa Tabassum, a school teacher, said while visiting the exhibition.
The esteemed jury board of the competition comprised photographer, editor and educator Abir Abdullah; Dhaka University Mass Communication and Journalism Department Professor Gitiara Nasreen, renowned cinematographer Rashed Zaman, Indian editor, curator and writer Tanvi Mishra and eminent photographer and Drik Picture Library Managing Director Shahidul Alam.
This year’s exhibition and competition introduced a special Community Grant Programme titled 'Photojournalism in the Margins' for photographers from the indigenous community of Chattogram Hill Tracts and the Rohingya community residing in Bangladesh.
Read: Showcasing artists of tomorrow: AISD students reimagine their world
Sarkar Nahid Niazi's solo art exhibition 'Manyfestation opens at AFD
Sarkar Nahid Niazi's sixth solo art exhibition, titled 'Manyfestation' was inaugurated at La Galerie, Alliance Française de Dhaka in the capital’s Dhanmondi on Friday.
Art maestro Professor Shishir Bhattacharjee, Department of Drawing and Painting, Faculty of Fine Art, Dhaka University, attended the event as the special guest while Nadia Samdani, President of Samdani Art Foundation joined the event as the guest of honour.
In her work, Sarkar Nahid Niazi attempts to give a new life to old, worn, and rusty systems around us. With a touch of aesthetics, she transforms the old into a new form. Through the use of colour and texture, she transforms solid and insipid materials such as wood into lively and interesting subjects.
The artist enjoys presenting new and beautiful things through her work. Sarkar Nahid Niazi defines the boundaries of her art through the use of colour and form. This artist's works reveal that her art is both rhetorical and realistic at the same time, intended to build relationships.
As Nahid's artworks create a relationship between utility and aesthetics, they also help to see the relationship between art and real life in a new light. This duality will make it possible for the viewer to experience the materiality and epistemology of this contemporary artist's work.
There are around 25 artworks in this exhibition. The medium she used is painted acrylic on canvas, wood and carton (box).
'Manyfestation' is Nahid Niazi's 6th solo art exhibition. The artist participated in five solo exhibitions and about 20 group exhibitions at home and abroad.
The exhibition will be open to all till June 13, Monday to Saturday from 3 pm to 9 pm.
Curtain rises on 25th National Art Exhibition at BSA
The 25th edition of the National Art Exhibition began on Sunday at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA)’s National Art Gallery, returning to its full normalcy after being held virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021.
Known as one of the most vividly celebrated art exhibitions of the country and one of the flagship artistic ventures of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) since 1975, this year’s National Art Exhibition is featuring 301 artworks by 261 artists from across the country.
On Sunday evening, State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid inaugurated the exhibition as chief guest at the National Art Gallery auditorium. Independence Award-winning eminent artist Hashem Khan, artist Abdul Mannan, artist Monirul Islam and Cultural Affairs Secretary Khalil Ahmed were present as special guests at the inaugural ceremony.
BSA's Director of Fine Arts Syeda Mahbuba Karim delivered the welcome speech and the inauguration ceremony was chaired by BSA Director General Liaquat Ali Lucky, while BSA Salahuddin Ahmed delivered the vote of thanks.
“This year is culturally significant for our country, as our Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was awarded the prestigious Joliot-Curie medal on May 23, 1973, and that brings us the 50th year celebration of that honour. At the same time, we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the prestigious National Art Exhibition, and it is overwhelming to see all these captivating artworks from the talented, majestic artists of our country,” KM Khalid said at the event.
Showcasing artists of tomorrow: AISD students reimagine their world
Featuring 3 artworks from each of 190 elementary students – that’s a whopping 570 artworks – of the American International School Dhaka (AISD), the Elementary School Art Show opened on May 8, 2023.
While observing the artworks, prominently on display at the school in Dhaka, one couldn’t help but be amazed by the ingenuity, passion and use of several mediums by these very young, budding artists – some of whom may go on to achieve national and international acclaim.
A crucial factor behind that artistic journey is access to resources, encouragement from both parents and school, and platforms to showcase their works. All these elements seemed to be there for AISD students, as demonstrated through the exhibition and during conversation with the Elementary School Principal at AISD and the ES Art Teacher.
About the objective of the exhibition, preparation behind it, and display, the art teacher said: “So, this is the second art show that we’ve had that’s been in the physical space. Each student had three pieces of artwork that were part of the show. They produced the artwork, making the general decisions about what’s going to go in the show, and then as a curator, I made the final decisions based on space and placement.”
“The artworks are placed on the wall, and then anything that is 3D was either placed on a stand or on a table. They’re all arranged with the title of the artwork, the artist’s name and then what media they used,” the teacher said.
“We have classes, so there is not often a time when the parents get to see what the kids do in the art room, and they’re working towards going into Middle School. Having a gallery or an exhibition is important as it makes them feel special. I mean, that’s actually what happens with art – it goes into a gallery, so it’s just giving that feel and making them feel that their artwork has value,” the art teacher explained why the exhibition is important.
National Museum to send proposal for including palm leaf scroll etching as UNESCO cultural heritage: KM Khalid
State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid on Friday said that the tradition of palm leaf scroll painting and etching can be included as UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage and Bangladesh’s National Museum will send proposals in this regard to the global organisation.
“Painting and writing on palm leaves is a unique artistic craft and is the first of its kind in Bangladesh. The renowned Bangladeshi artist Afrozaa Jamil Konka — the second daughter of the valiant hero Shaheed Col Jamil who sacrificed his life to save the Father of the Nation and his family — has decorated and designed the palm leaf scrolls based on the long poem 'Bangalir Porichoy Kabbo' by the France-based Bengali playwright Choyon Khairul Habib, symbolizing the various chapters of Bangabandhu's revolutionary life and the historical episodes of the nation. We will send an official proposal to UNESCO for including this procedure as part of its Intangible Cultural Heritage,” the state minister said.
The state minister shared his remarks as the chief guest at the inauguration ceremony of an exclusive exhibition based on the unique project titled “Bangalir Porichoy Kabbo”, an epic verse engraved on ‘Taal Patar Puthi’ (manuscript on palm leaves) at the Nalini Kanta Bhattashali Gallery of the National Museum, Shahbagh in the capital.
Bangladesh National Museum Director General Md Kamruzzaman, eminent artist Prof Hashem Khan, and Dhaka University Faculty of Fine Arts Dean Prof Nisar Hossain spoke as special guests while the welcome remarks were shared by Choyon Khairul Habib and artist Afrozaa Jamil Konka.
“We all know that the palm leaf has multiple uses and the hand fans made with the leaves have been our lifelong companions before the availability of electric fans. The palm leaf scroll which we call ‘Puthi’ in Bengali, has been a great heritage element in our culture and my gratitude goes to Habib for such a wonderful poem on Bangabandhu and Konka for her majestic artistry,” Khalid said.
The engraving artist for the project was Prashant Maharana, a craftsman from the state of Odisha, India. The state minister conveyed his heartfelt thanks and congratulations to Shaheed Colonel Jamil Foundation for taking this great initiative.
Choyon Khairul Habib, poet-playwright and the author of “Bangalir Porichoy Kabbo” shared the background story of this epic poem-turned-puthi, saying: “I have highlighted the history of Bangladesh, the evolution of the Bengali community and the nationality alongside the symbolic narrative of Bangabandhu in this poem.”
“Since I started writing ‘Bangalir Porichoy Kabbo’, the incentive to preserve the work with palm leaf puthi was in my plan, and the very first person I thought of regarding the illustration was none other than Afrozaa Jamil Konka due to her connection to Bangabandhu through her great patriot father, Shaheed Colonel Jamil, and I can proudly say she did justice to the project.”
‘Bangalir Porichoy Kabbo’: Ode to the Father of the Nation on ‘Taal Patar Puthi’
Commemorating the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, France-based Bengali playwright Choyon Khairul Habib and eminent Bangladeshi artist Afrozaa Jamil Konka have collaborated on creating a unique project titled “Bangalir Porichoy Kabbo”, an epic verse engraved on ‘Taal Patar Puthi’ (manuscript on palm leaves).
At the Nalini Kanta Bhattashali Gallery of National Museum, the ‘puthi’ will be unveiled and showcased to the general audience through an exclusive exhibition – set to be inaugurated on May 12 at 3 pm.
The concept of ‘puthi’ redirects to a book or manuscript which contains lyrical versions of spiritual text or mythical tales from Bengal. A ‘puthi’ could have pages made of bark, leather, wood, or even leaves. Before paper was introduced, these materials were commonly used.
However, with the advent of mass use of paper and development of printing, this unique literary element was lost and almost became extinct.
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Choyon Khairul Habib has written the verse titled “Bangalir Porichoy Kabbo” which evolved around Bangabandhu’s revolutionary life – focusing on his role in the 1952 Language Movement to leading the 1971 Liberation War. This was written in 2020 on the occasion of Bangabandhu’s birth centenary, while the writer was residing in France.
"In this epic poem-turned-puthi, I have highlighted the history of Bangladesh, the evolution of the Bengali community and the nationality alongside the symbolic narrative of Bangabandhu. I have been interested in Bengali puthi for a long time. From 2010 to 2019 when I wrote the operatic 'Julekha Trilogy', I read a lot of puthi. Since I started writing ‘Bangalir Porichoy Kabbo’, the incentive to preserve the work with palm leaf puthi was in my plan,” according to Choyon Khairul Habib.
Chhayanaut announces Pahela Baishakh 1430 festivity at Ramna Batamul
Chhayanaut, the country’s esteemed cultural institution known for its traditional flagship event on April 14 to welcome the Bengali new calendar year, is once again gearing up to welcome 1430 with the traditional Pahela Baishakh cultural festivity at Ramna Park in the capital.
This marks the second consecutive year that Pahela Baishakh will be observed during the holy month of Ramadan, and the festivity this year has been planned accordingly respecting the unity and essence of the holy month, the institution informed at a press conference on Monday at the Chhayanaut Shanskriti Bhavan in the capital’s Dhanmondi.
The press conference was joined by Chhayanaut Vice-Presidents Dr Atiur Rahman and Khairul Anam Shakil, General Secretary Laisa Ahmed Lisa, and its Joint Secretary Jayanta Roy.
At the press conference, it was informed that the senior and junior artists of the institution have been rehearsing for the last two months to welcome the new year in style with their combined and enthralling performances, under the Banyan tree at the Ramna Park.
The two-hour-long cultural event will comprise group and solo songs, and poetry recitations, starting at 6:15 am.
“In general, more than a hundred of our performers participate and showcase their musical performances every year at Chhayanaut's Pahela Baishakh live event at Ramna. The festivity was peacefully observed last year during the month of holy Ramadan, and this year we are hoping to continue the tradition as well,” Chhayanaut General Secretary Laisa Ahmed Lisa said at the press conference.
It was also informed that the stage installation and preparation are already completed, and the organisers expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Housing and Public Works for the allocation of basic permissions regarding the venue, as well as the security enforcement unit of the government and the volunteers of 13th Hussars Open Rover Scout Group for the cooperation.
Chhayanaut, founded in 1961, has earned global fame for organizing the traditional, extravagant cultural festivity of Pahela Baishakh at Ramna Park every year. The only exception was in 1971, during the Liberation War of Bangladesh, and then in 2020-2021 due to the global outbreak of COVID-19.
One of the most coveted and long-awaited festivities in Bangladesh, the traditional cultural presentation of Chhayanaut marking the Pahela Baishakh has earned its fame as one of the grandest regular cultural celebrations in the world.
Bangladesh Television (BTV) and Bangladesh Betar will telecast the program from the venue, live from 6:15 am on April 14. The event will also be broadcasted on Chhayanaut’s official YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@ChhayanautDigitalPlatform.