Popular filmmaker Mostafa Sarwar Farooki was hospitalised after he felt unwell on Monday (January 22, 2024) evening. His hospitalisation was confirmed by his wife, actress Nusrat Imrose Tisha. Tisha wrote on her verified Facebook page at 1 am on Tuesday, “Mostafa has been feeling unwell since last evening. After taking him to the hospital, it was informed that he suffered a mild stroke.” “He is now being observed at the Neuro ICU. Please keep Mostafa Sarwar Farooki in your prayers,” Tisha wrote. According to sources, the director is at a private hospital in Dhaka’s Panthapath. He is currently being closely monitored by doctors but is now out of danger. Fans and admirers, including many celebrities, have commented on and shared the post while asking for prayers for the acclaimed director. Read more: Farooki’s ‘Shonibar Bikel’ to be released on Indian OTT platform Sony LIV Known for breaking stereotypical storytelling and popularising colloquial language in TV fiction, Farooki is widely acclaimed for his television series ‘51 Borti’, ‘69’, ‘420’, ‘Choruivati’, ‘Carrom’ and more. After becoming successful in television, Farooki debuted as a filmmaker with ‘Bachelor’ (2004), featuring an ensemble cast of Ferdous Ahmed, Humayun Faridi, Shabnoor, Aupee Karim, Jaya Ahsan, Marzuk Russell and others. After that, he continued his journey as a filmmaker with ‘Made in Bangladesh’, ‘Third Person Singular Number’, ‘Ant Story’ (Piprabiddya), ‘Television’, ‘Doob: No Bed of Roses’ and his most talked-about film ‘Saturday Afternoon (Shonibar Bikel), which is yet to have a proper theatrical release in Bangladesh. With ‘Ladies & Gentleman’ (2021), Farooki debuted in OTT. He debuted as an actor in the Chorki’s film under the ‘Ministry of Love’ project, titled 'Something Like An Autobiography' alongside Tisha. Read more: Something Like An Autobiography: Real Story or Just a Film?

Acclaimed filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farooki is making his acting debut with his web film "Something Like an Autobiography" as part of Chorki’s "Ministry of Love" anthology film series. Farooki, along with his wife, actress Nusrat Imrose Tisha, will be coming together on screen for the film as their first-ever acting project, for which they have also co-written the screenplay. Also read: No filmmaker should experience what I did: Farooki Chorki revealed the first look of this film on its social media handles on Wednesday afternoon. "For almost the last 25 years, I have been trying to tell different stories. Those stories have impacted our audiences more or less, and my experiments regarding acting and storytelling always continued for those stories, but the one thing I always kept myself distant from was acting." "When I was writing this film with Tisha, we realised that we both had to act in this film. I was initially hesitant about it, but Rony (Chorki CEO) and Tisha insisted. Tisha motivated me by saying that this story could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me, so I moved forward," Farooki posted on Facebook regarding his acting debut on Wednesday. Also read: Farooki’s "No Land’s Man" wins Prix du Public award in France Farooki also revealed that the film has been selected to compete at the 28th Busan International Film Festival’s main competition section in October, along with having its world premiere at the festival. According to Chorki, "Something Like an Autobiography" will be competing with some of Asia's most prominent filmmakers this year, including Filipino master filmmaker Brillante Mendoza, Sri Lankan powerhouse Prasanna Vithanaga, and Indonesia's Yosep Anggi Noen, among others, in the ‘Kim Jiseok competition category’ for established filmmakers from Asia. Tisha is returning to work after motherhood with this film. "I had no idea I would be able to start working so soon," she added. "Farooki has given me the confidence to get back into shape and work, and I thank the Almighty for allowing me to work on such an emotional story, especially after the birth of our daughter Ilham," the actress remarked. Also read: Chorki to bring ‘Shurongo’ with extended Director’s Cut version Like every other artist, I also hold expectations regarding my works, but I have great expectations regarding this particular film, as this is our special story. This film is like our second child. Farooki is a brilliant filmmaker, and with 'Something Like an Autobiography', the audiences will get to see how good of an actor he is," Tisha said. Chorki CEO Redoan Rony said, "This film is very special from other films, as Farooki Bhai acted for the first time in this movie. We are all looking forward to seeing him on screen. Also, this is the first Chorki Original film to go to the Busan Film Festival, which is a great matter of pride for us." Farooki has directed two web films for Chokri’s "Ministry of Love" anthology series while overseeing the project, which is set to bring 12 new web films with 12 acclaimed filmmakers. His other film, "Last Defenders of Monogamy," stars Chanchal Chowdhury and singer Xefer in the lead roles.

The nation is observing the 11th death anniversary of the iconic writer, filmmaker Humayun Ahmed today (January 19, 2023). Widely considered one of the cornerstones of modern Bangla literature, the legendary writer passed away on July 19, 2012, due to colorectal cancer at the age of 63 at Bellevue Hospital, New York, in the United States. His family and several organizations are observing the day with different programmes and events. Humayun Ahmed's widow and actress-media personality Meher Afroz Shaon, alongside their two sons Ninit and Nishad, placed wreaths at his grave in Nuhash Palli, Gazipur in the morning. Remembering Humayun Ahmed on his 74th birth anniversary Special prayers and Quran Khatam have been organized since morning, and a prayer ceremony was also held to seek eternal peace of his soul. Orphans will be fed at noon marking the occasion, according to both Shaon and the authority of Nuhash Palli. Himu Paribahan, a renowned fan unit of the prolific writer, has been observing the special day since 2013. Members of the platform placed wreaths at the writer's grave in the morning. Several other organisations are also commemorating the day with various events, while fans and admirers are sharing emotional tributes to the legend on their social media accounts. Television channels and radio stations are also airing various programmes, highlighting the life and glorious career of the wordsmith. Remembering Humayun Ahmed on his 10th death anniversary Humayun Ahmed was born in Kutubpur village at Mohanganj, Netrakona to Foyzur Rahman Ahmed and Ayesha Foyez on November 13, 1948. He passed the School Certificate (1965) from Bogra Zilla School, Intermediate from Dhaka College and earned his BSc and MSc in Chemistry from Dhaka University with first class. He joined Dhaka University as a lecturer of Chemistry and later went to North Dakota State University in the United States to pursue his PhD in Polymer Chemistry. 'Nondito Noroke' (1972) was Humayun Ahmed's debut novel, which gave him the breakthrough and propelled his career as a writer. The Ekushey Padak winner writer wrote over 200 fiction and non-fiction books, all of which were bestsellers in Bangladesh to date. Remembering Humayun Ahmed, a polymath par excellence He won Bangla Academy Award, Lekhak Shibir Award, Shishu Academy Award, Michael Madhusudan Padak, Bachsas Award, and more for his outstanding contributions in his illustrious career to the Bengali culture and entertainment sphere. Humayun Ahmed debuted with his drama 'Prothom Prohor' (1983) for Bangladesh Television (BTV). His successful journey in television continued with popular drama serials 'Ei Shob Din Ratri', 'Bohubrihi', 'Ayomoy', 'Nokkhotrer Raat', 'Aaj Robibar' and most notably, 'Kothao Keu Nei' which created a never-before-seen hype in the nation surrounding the lead character 'Baker Bhai', portrayed by veteran actor Asaduzzaman Noor. Humayun Ahmed also explored success as a filmmaker in the early 1990s and went on to make a total of eight films in his filmmaking career, each based on his novels. Two of his films, ‘Shyamol Chhaya’ (2004) and 'Ghetuputra Komola' (2012) were the official Bangladeshi submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in their respective years. He received seven Bangladesh National Film Awards in different categories for the films 'Shonkhonil Karagar' (as screenwriter), 'Aguner Poroshmoni', 'Daruchini Dwip' and 'Ghetuputra Komola'. Read more: Humayun Ahmed: The Creator of Versatile Fictional Characters

After getting the clearance for his much-anticipated film ‘Shonibar Bikel’ (Saturday Afternoon) from Bangladesh Film Censor Board on Saturday afternoon, acclaimed filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farooki said that he is thankful but does not want any filmmaker to experience what he had to endure film for the last four years. “I feel relieved to get this news finally after all these years. At the same time, I just want to say that whatever I have gone through for this film - I don’t want any filmmaker to go through those,” Farooki told UNB on Saturday. For the last four years, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s 8th directorial film Shonibar Bikel - a Bangladeshi-German-Russian co-production, a political thriller inspired by the 2016 Holey Artisan massacre in Gulshan shot almost entirely in a single take, was stuck and denied the censor certificate from Bangladesh Film Censor Board. It features an ensemble cast of Nusrat Imrose Tisha, Zahid Hasan, Mamunur Rashid, Iresh Zaker, Nader Chowdhury, Gousul Alam Shaon, Indian-Bengali film actor-director Parambrata Chatterjee and Palestinian actor Eyad Hourani in the lead characters, and received multiple awards at different festivals across the world since being ready for its theatrical release in 2019. Read: ‘Shonibar Bikel’ gets censor clearance on a Saturday afternoon Despite the filmmaker claiming several times that the film was fictionalised based on the incident and not direct documentation of the event, Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud previously stated that the Bangladesh Film Censor Board did not grant the film its censorship as the board's members at the time considered a number of factors, including the internal security and external reputation of the nation. He also stated that the film did not properly highlight the contribution of members of the police, RAB and army during the 2016 Holy Artisan attack. “Unfortunately, it has been banned in Bangladesh on the grounds it could “damage the country’s reputation” and incite religious hatred. The only thing this Bangladesh-Germany co-prod could do to the country’s reputation is improving it, and its plea for religious tolerance is nothing short of touching. While the body of the film is shot in a single, excited take, it opens with a series of shots emphasizing the deceptive stillness of Dhaka on a lazy Saturday morning,” The Hollywood Reporter reviewed the film in May 2019. Although Farooki and Shonibar Bikel continued fighting for its approval and censor certificate, Bollywood, in the meantime, moved forward with the movie ‘Faraaz’. The Hansal Mehta directorial is based on the same incident and is scheduled to have its theatres release in India on February 3, and the film narrates a more direct reflection of the actual event than ‘Shonibar Bikel’, many audiences and film observers opined after the release of its theatrical trailer. Read: Holey Artisan victim's mother vows to fight release of Bollywood film on tragedy When Shonibar Bikel's clearance was not granted before ‘Faraaz’, Farooki and numerous other acclaimed and renowned artists, cultural personalities and filmmakers expressed dissatisfaction with the media and demanded justice for the film. The filmmaker and associates raised their united voice in two major events in the past year against the ‘unnecessary censorship’ and injustice against the film - first at a unique press conference on August titled “Golpo Bolar Swadhinata Chai” at the Dhaka Reporters Unity in the capital, and also at the maiden edition of the daylong summit on December 30 titled ‘FAB Fest 2022’, organised by Film Alliance Bangladesh, a think-tank comprising stakeholders in the film industry and media professionals of the country. Finally, when the release date of ‘Faraaz’ was announced and the trailer of the film got released on the T-Series YouTube channel last week, a united outrage cast over the social media platforms and many urged the censor board to rewatch and review the decision. Read More: Holey Artisan Victim Faraaz's Heroism is Now on the Silver Screen The members of the appeal board - consisting of actress and lawmaker Suborna Mustafa, Jatiya Press Club general secretary and former censor board vice chairman Shyamal Dutta, eminent silver screen actress Sucharita and former Additional Secretary Nurul Karim, saw the film on Saturday, before announcing that there are now no obligations to theatrically release the film. According to Shyamal Dutta, since the film is not an exact adaptation of the events of Holey Artisan, there is no obstacle to its release. There is no need to add or modify any scenes; the events of this film have nothing to do with the events that took place in Holey Artisan. This is not a direct depiction of the events of Holy Artisan, and the appeal board suggested the director make such a declaration before realising the film. “How does it feel to watch everyone else sprint while you remain still? I felt so useless for a very long time! Although I have no idea how it appears from the outside - but I can tell from the inside, there are no lonely people like artists. The feeling that engulfed me, along with my own worthlessness on ‘Shonibar Bikel’ for the past four years, was loneliness,” Farooki said, as his last theatrical work was the late Indian actor Irrfan Khan starrer 2017 film ‘Doob’ (No Bed of Roses), which was the Bangladeshi entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards. Read More: Foreign envoys remember those killed in Holey Artisan attack Finally relieved with the clearance, Farooki told UNB: “I want to convey my gratitude to the Film Alliance of Bangladesh (FAB) alongside my colleagues and friends from the filmmaking community and most importantly, our audiences. Many people from different sectors of our society raised their voices for the film, and I am immensely grateful to all of them.” “To receive the film censor board's approval for ‘Shonibar Bikel’ - I had to wait four long years. I sincerely hope that no other filmmaker goes through something similar. The appeal board has yet to send us a formal letter regarding the censorship. We will complete all necessary procedures, include a disclaimer, and submit the letter after receiving it. We want the movie to be out on February 3 or sooner," Farooki said. Read More: Govt satisfied with Holey Artisan attack verdict: Law Minister.

Nuhash Humayun has revealed the name of his Hulu project. Incidentally, this is the first Bangladeshi content to be featured on Hulu, an American OTT platform.  What is Nuhash’s Hulu project called? The young filmmaker revealed on his verified Facebook profile that the Hulu project is called “Foreigners Only”.  “I am so so proud of the incredible work my team has done,” Nuhash wrote in the Facebook post. When will it air on Hulu? “Foreigners Only” is going to be aired on Hulu this Halloween, in October. Nuhash produced the short as an episode of Hulu and 20th Digital’s “BITE SIZE HALLOWEEN”. Read: Nuhash Humayun: I want to experiment, make mistakes What is “Foreigners Only” about? The short apparently takes a jab at some apartments in Dhaka’s Gulshan, Banani areas that are only rented out to foreigners.  Nuhash wrote: “…why is this a big deal? Why do we value the bideshi, the foreign...sometimes more than ourselves?” “FOREIGNERS ONLY asks these questions and more. And we might not like the answers,” he added. The Hulu short will not be released in Bangladesh right now, Nuhash wrote. Read Anonymous Content, CAA take Nuhash Humayun onboard  Earlier in an interview to UNB, Nuhash spoke about the Hulu content. He said, "Hulu has produced some exclusive content on the occasion of Halloween this year, and one of those projects is made by me. It will air on Halloween in October. It's a single content, and nothing to disclose more than that at this moment. After the official announcement of Hulu, everyone will know the details.” Speaking on being associated with Hulu's project, Nuhash said, “After evaluating some of my works, they gave me this project. When I went to Hulu's office in Los Angeles, I was a bit nervous. However, the meeting was quite positive. They appreciated all my plans, and that raised my confidence.” The content was produced in both Bangla and English, with Nuhash serving as both the director and screenwriter. Read ‘Moshari’ wins Atlanta Film Festival Jury Award Nuhash got signed by the Hollywood agencies Anonymous Content and Creative Artists Agency (CAA) earlier this year. Through these two agencies, he got connected with Hulu.

Several young filmmakers are now taking Bangladeshi content to the international arena, and Nuhash Humayun is one of them. With drama projects such as ‘Hotel Albatross’, the short film ‘700 Taka’, web series ‘Pet Kata Shaw’, his recent short film 'Moshari' and his upcoming project for the international OTT platform Hulu, Nuhash's career is gaining momentum towards global success. After the success of 'Moshari' at two 'Oscar qualifying’ film festivals (HollyShorts Film Festival and Melbourne International Film Festival), audiences in Bangladesh have been wondering where and when to see the film, and answering that question, Nuhash told UNB that the short film is going to be available for Bangladeshi viewers in October. Regarding the work plan and experience, he said, "Interest of our viewers always sparks inspiration for any content creator. I have been blessed with that interest and our audiences might not have to wait too long for ‘Moshari’, which I hope everyone will be able to see in October.” Read:'Beauty Circus’ & ‘Operation Sundarban’ set the ball rolling for Bangladesh film industry “Working on this project has been really different for me. To succeed, I had to wait ten years. The idea for the plot first came to me ten years ago, but at the time there was no support since I dared to experiment with such fiction. I still needed a lot of creative support when I started developing ‘Moshari’, but I managed to finish it. Additionally, I've received a lot of reaction from audiences abroad. Now I’m eagerly waiting for Bangladeshi audiences’ reaction.” The news that Nuhash Humayun has created content for the international OTT platform Hulu broke the local internet, while the conversation regarding ‘Moshari’ was still going on. The completed content, which features numerous well-known Bangladeshi actors, is already in Hulu’s pipeline; however, due to the embargo till the official promotion from Hulu, Nuhash is currently keeping a lot of information about the project private.

Srijit Mukherji, a popular and acclaimed filmmaker of India, said he would like to make a biopic on Bangladesh cricket superstar Shakib Al Hasan. Srijit was among the spectators of the second and final Dhaka Test between Bangladesh and Pakistan. On Wednesday afternoon, Srijit had a conversation with UNB at the gallery of the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. Read: Shakib’s inner child comes out on rain-soaked day “Cricket is something so close to my heart,” Srijit, who recently directed a film based on the life of Indian women cricket superstar Mithali Raj, said. “I would really love to make a movie based on the life of Shakib if an opportunity comes along the way in future. He is really a great cricketer. I saw a few wonderful cover drives of him today— those were amazing.” Srijit came into limelight with his super hit movie ‘Autograph’ which was released back in 2010. After that, he also directed movies like Baishe Srabon, Hemlock Society, Rajkahini, Zulfiqar, Vinci Da— to name a few. Most of these movies drew a huge viewership in Bangladesh, but through a stealthy path— downloading front torrents server or something like this, as those movies were not released in Bangladesh officially. “It would have been great if we could release movies in Bangladesh officially. The authorities from both countries are working on this— as I know. I hope people of Bangladesh can watch our movies directly in the cinema halls,” Srijit said, voicing sadness as many cinema halls are being shut down in Bangladesh.

Thursday marks the 86th birth anniversary of the legendary filmmaker and freedom fighter Zahir Raihan, best remembered for capturing the 1971 Liberation War on celluloid. Born as Mohammad Zahirullah on August 19, 1935, in Majupur village of the then Feni mahakuma in Noakhali district, Raihan initially studied at Calcutta Alia Madrasah in India, where his father was a professor. After the Partition of India in 1947, his family moved back to his ancestral village in Feni. Three years later, he successfully completed matriculation from Amirabad High School. And that year only, he started working as a journalist for Juger Alo. Read:Remembering Zahir Raihan Although he joined medical college after completing his intermediate examination from Dhaka College in 1953, Raihan eventually dropped out. However, he later obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Bangla from Dhaka University in 1958. After Juger Alo, he had worked with many other newspapers, namely Khapchhara, Jantrik, and Cinema. He also served as the editor of Probaho in 1956. His first collection of short stories ‘Suryagrahan’ was published in 1955. He was also one of the publishers of English Weekly Express. Raihan went back to Calcutta (now Kolkata) and joined Pramatesh Burua Memorial Photography School in 1952 to learn photography. His career in the film industry began with the film ‘Jago Huye Savera’ in 1957, where he worked as an assistant director. As the assistant director, he had also worked with director Salahuddin in the film ‘Je Nodi Morupothay’ and Ehtesham in ‘Ei Desh Tomar Amar’. His first directorial venture ‘Kokhono Asheni’ was released in 1961. After that, Raihan successfully launched two of his revolutionary attempts as a director in 1964 by making the movie ‘Sangam’, Pakistan’s first-ever coloured film, and ‘Bahana’, Pakistan’s first cinemascope Urdu film. He was gradually becoming more and more successful during that time as a director with back-to-back hits such as ‘Sonar Kajol’ (1962, jointly directed with Kolim Sharafi), ‘Kancher Deyal’ (1963), ‘Behula’ (1966), ‘Anowara’ (1966) and ‘Agun Niye Khela’ (1967).  Read:Remembering natyacharya Selim Al Deen Through his movies, he had launched several prominent artistes, most notably Nayak Raj Razzak and Babita, and worked frequently with prominent actor-directors Amzad Hossain and Khan Ataur Rahman. As the nation's political situation was getting chaotic more than ever during the time, Raihan was continuously feeling the zeal to break every shackle imposed by then Pakistani rulers. He actively participated in the 1952 Language Movement and 1969’s Mass Uprising. At that time, Raihan felt the urgency of making a film based on both of these remarkable movements, and thus made his legendary film ‘Jeebon Theke Neya’ in 1970, considered an example of ‘National Cinema’, using discrete local traditions to build a representation of the Bangladeshi national identity. The classic is considered a milestone in Bangladeshi cinema. During the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh, Raihan began creating English documentary films on the subject, including ‘Let There Be Light’, which he could not finish because of the break out of the war. After the historic 25th March of 1971, he went to Calcutta and made his acclaimed documentary ‘Stop Genocide’, highlighting the massacre orchestrated by the Pakistani Army. There he also showed his film ‘Jeebon Theke Neya’, which was highly acclaimed by legendary filmmakers, including Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak, Mrinal Sen and Tapan Sinha. Despite his financial hardships at the time, he donated all the proceeds from the Calcutta event to the Freedom Fighters Trust. In his short-spanned career as a writer, Raihan was successful in narrating some of the most prolific and true-to-life stories ever published in Bangladeshi literature, through his books -- Shesh Bikeler Meye, Arek Phalgun, Trishna, Borof Gola Nodi and most notably, Hajar Bochhor Dhore. Read: Rock legend Ayub Bachchu’s 59th birth anniversary Monday Raihan had been married twice, to Sumita Devi in 1961 and Shuchonda in 1968, both popular film actresses. With Sumita, he had two sons named Bipul Raihan and Anol Raihan. With Shuchonda, he also had two sons named Opu Raihan and Topu Raihan. On January 30, 1972, Raihan went missing while attempting to locate his brother, Shahidullah Kaiser, a well-known writer who was abducted and killed by the Pakistani Army and its local collaborators. Raihan is believed to have been killed by armed Bihari collaborators and the Pakistani Army hiding who had opened fire on them while they were travelling towards Mirpur in Dhaka. For his excellence in filmmaking as a valiant patriot, Raihan was posthumously awarded Bangla Academy Literary Award (1972), Ekushey Padak (1977), Independence Day Award (1992) and Bangladesh National Film Awards (2005).

The 10th death anniversary of late filmmaker Tareque Masud, a storyteller who is recognized for his creative brilliance and critical acclaim from home and abroad throughout his lifetime, is being observed in the country. Tareque and Mishuk Munier along with three others were killed in a fatal road accident on Dhaka-Aricha highway in Ghior Upazila of Manikganj on August 13 in 2011. The accident happened when a microbus carrying the two short-lived celebrities crashed into a bus on the highway while they were returning to Dhaka from Manikganj after visiting a shooting location. Read:Tareque Masud, Mishuk Munier’s 9th death anniversary today The day is being observed this year through various programmes organized by different organisations, including Tareque Masud Memorial Trust, Moviyana Film Society, Kathaprokash and Lagvelki, to name a few, adopting the new normalcy of virtual events. Tareque Masud Memorial Trust and publishing house Kathaprokash jointly organized a virtual book launching ceremony on Thursday night, publishing the remastered edition of Tareque Masud’s book titled ‘Chalachchittrajatra’, Catherine Masud, Tareque's widow, an American-born producer-filmmaker, Tareque Masud Memorial Trust chairperson and joint editor of the book joined the event alongside filmmaker and joint editor of the book Proshoon Rahman, Moviyana Film Society president and joint editor of the book Belayet Hossain Mamun, Indian film scholar Sanjay Mukhopadhyay, artist Dhali Al Mamoon and Kathaprokash owner Jashim Uddin. Lagvelki, the first online pay-per-view movie streaming platform in the country, is organising an online discussion programme at 5 pm on Friday. Scheduled to be streamed live from LagVelki’s official Facebook page, the event will be joined by filmmaker Proshoon Rahmaan who will talk about his new book, ‘Tareque Masud O Tar Shwapnoshonkranto’, alongside Lagvelki founder Shariful Islam Shaon. Read:Tareque Masud’s 63rd birth anniversary observed Indian film scholar Sanjay Mukhopadhyay will deliver the Tareque Masud Memorial Lecture on Friday at 8.30 pm, which will be streamed live on Moviyana Film Society’s Facebook page. The event, being organized by Tareque Masud Memorial Trust and Moviyana Film Society, will be joined by Catherine Masud and Moviyana Film Society president Belayet Hossain Mamun. Born on December 6, 1956, in Faridpur, Tareque was involved with the film society movement in the late 70s. His maiden film is ‘Adam Surat’, a documentary on the legendary artist SM Sultan which was released in 1989. 'Matir Moyna', the most acclaimed film made by Tareque Masud, earned the FIPRESCI Prize in the 2002 Cannes Film Festival and became Bangladesh's first film to compete for the Academy Award for the best foreign-language film in the same year. His other major films are ‘Runway’, ‘Ontorjatra’ ‘Muktir Gaan’ and the unfinished 'Kagojer Phul'. In addition to filmmaking, Tareque was also a pioneer of the independent film movement in Bangladesh. He was a founding member of the Short Film Forum, the leading platform for independent filmmakers. He organised the country’s first International Short and Documentary Film Festival in 1988. Read:Google honours Tareque Masud with a Doodle For his majestic and influential role in modern Bangladeshi filmmaking, Tareque Masud was posthumously awarded Ekushey Padak in 2012. Mishuk Munier was a former faculty member of the Department of Journalism at Dhaka University and a well-revered cinematographer. He was the son of cultural activist Lily Chowdhury and Bangla Academy Award-winning educationist, playwright, literary critic and political activist Munier Chowdhury, an intellectual martyr who was assassinated by Pakistan Army and its local collaborators on December 14, 1971.

Monday marks the 9th death anniversary of eminent writer, playwright, lyricist, and filmmaker Humayun Ahmed. Considered as one of the cornerstones in modern Bengali literature, Humayun Ahmed died of colorectal cancer at the age of 63 at Bellevue Hospital, New York on July 19, 2012. Read:Humayun Ahmed’s 72nd birth anniversary today Like the previous year, Ahmed's death anniversary is being observed by various organizations through a limited arrangement, due to the ongoing disastrous situation of Covid-19. Several organizations are scheduled to honour the eminent writer through different virtual programmes, on various media platforms. Fans and admirers are also posting emotional tributes to the legend on their social media accounts. Himu Paribahan, a noted fanbase group of eminent writers, has been observing this special day since 2013 - however, due to the catastrophic situation of Covid-19 this year, the group has scaled down its activities while the Gazipur branch of the group placed floral wreaths on the litterateur's graveyard at his beloved Nuhash Palli. Humayun Ahmed's widow and actress-media personality Meher Afroz Shaon, alongside their two sons Ninit and Nishad has also placed floral wreaths at his grave at Nuhash Palli in the morning. Television channels and radio stations will also air various programmes, highlighting the life and glorious career of the wordsmith. Read: Humayun Ahmed: The Creator of Versatile Fictional Characters Humayun Ahmed was born in Kutubpur village at Mohanganj, Netrakona to Foyzur Rahman Ahmed and Ayesha Foyez on November 13, 1948. In his academic life, he passed the School Certificate (1965) from Bogra Zilla School, Intermediate from Dhaka College and earned his BSc and MSc in Chemistry from Dhaka University with First Class. He joined Dhaka University as a lecturer of Chemistry and later went to North Dakota State University in the United States to pursue his PhD in Polymer Chemistry. 'Nondito Noroke' (1972) was Humayun Ahmed's debut novel, which gave Humayun the breakthrough and propelled his career as a writer. The Ekushey Padak winner writer wrote over 200 fiction and non-fiction books, all of which were bestsellers in Bangladesh to date. Humayun Ahmed won Bangla Academy Award, Lekhak Shibir Award, Shishu Academy Award, Michael Madhusudan Padak, Bachsas Award, and more for his outstanding contributions in his illustrious career to the Bengali culture and entertainment sphere. As a content maker in television, Ahmed debuted with his drama 'Prothom Prohor' (1983) for Bangladesh Television (BTV).  His successful journey in television continued with popular drama serials 'Ei Shob Din Ratri', 'Bohubrihi', 'Ayomoy', 'Nokkhotrer Raat', 'Aaj Robibar' and most notably, 'Kothao Keu Nei' which created a historic hype in the nation - surrounding the lead character 'Baker Bhai', portrayed by veteran actor Asaduzzaman Noor. Humayun Ahmed also explored success as a filmmaker in the early 1990s and went on to make a total of eight films in his filmmaking career, each based on his own novels. Two of his films, 'Syamol Chhaya' (2004) and 'Ghetuputra Komola' (2012) were the official Bangladeshi submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in their respective years. Read:Legendary writer Humayun Ahmed’s death anniversary today He received seven Bangladesh National Film Awards in different categories for the films 'Shonkhonil Karagar' (as screenwriter), 'Aguner Poroshmoni', 'Daruchini Dwip' and 'Ghetuputra Komola'. The literature is survived by two sons Ninit and Nishad with his second wife Meher Afroze Shaon; and only son Nuhash Humayun, who is currently working in the media industry as a content creator and director, and three daughters Nova, Shila, Bipasha with his first wife Gultekin Ahmed.