United News of Bangladesh

Popular band Joler Gaan’s frontman, renowned music artist, lyricist, multi-instrumentalist and cultural personality Rahul Ananda's residence in the capital’s Dhanmondi 32, was burned and looted on Monday (July 5) afternoon amid the chaos that broke out as the aftermath of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation. Adjacent to the home of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, which also suffered the rage of the miscreants and was torched by their merciless mayhem, Rahul Ananda’s 140-year-old Dhanmondi residence was destroyed by the arson attack, which had over three thousand musical instruments - most of which the artist made by himself. "Over 3000 musical instruments which our beloved Rahul da owned, which he designed and made over the years with love and care, have been destroyed, and the estimated value of the torched instruments and other household things is more than Tk 10 lakhs,” according to Saiful Jarnal, a former bandmate of Rahul Ananda at Joler Gaan. Rahul Ananda, his wife Urmila Shukla and son Tota were able to move out amid the violent attack safely, according to several other musicians and artists. Even though they are physically unharmed, the artist and his family are now mentally devastated. Music artists, performers and his fans-admirers took to social media to express their heartfelt grievance over the unbearable loss of the beloved artist and his family. Many have also wondered why the incident happened even though the artist himself and his band expressed solidarity with the student movement against the oppression of the former government. Using the hashtags “#JolerGaan” and “#mob_attack,” popular singer-music director and Coke Studio Bangla Creative Producer Arnob wrote: “This is such a big loss! This is just unbearable !! Absolutely wrong !! I’m really sorry ! Rahul we are with you ! They burnt his home.. his great collection of musical instruments along with it.”  

Expressing solidarity with the protesting students representing the ongoing Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, musicians gathered in the capital on Saturday. First gathered at Rabindra Shorobor in Dhanmondi, the artists, under the banner of ‘Get Up Stand Up’, then marched towards the Central Shaheed Minar, joining thousands of protesters. Speaking to media, the artists expressed their stance against oppression and placed demands to stop the acts of violence, punish the murderers, and sought justice for rapper Hannan who was recently arrested for his track ‘Awaaz Utha’. Musicians including the Bangladesh Musical Bands Association (BAMBA) representatives and many popular bands, solo artists, music directors, lyricists, instrumentalists, technicians, organizers and others joined the gathering and procession, expressing solidarity.  Among the artists were Prince Mahmud, Latiful Islam Shibly, Probar Ripon, Hamin Ahmed, Maqsoodul Haque, Shakib Chowdhury, Partha Barua, Sujit Mostafa, Sheikh Monirul Haque Tipu, Shayan Chowdhury Arnob, Asif Akbar, Ziaur Rahman Zia, Syed Hasanur Rahman, Pantha Kanai, George Lincoln D'Costa, Raef Al Hasan Rafa, Elita Karim, Zohad Reza Chowdhury, Joy Shahriar, Ahmed Hasan Sunny, Zunayed Evan, Someshwar Oli, Jamshed Chowdhury, A K Rahul, Khayam Sanu Sandhi, Sheikh Ishtiaque, Shauquat Ali Emon, Armeen Musa and more. 

People from various professions and walks of life have joined the ongoing student protests, expressing solidarity with the movement. Among them, several popular bands and musicians have announced their disassociation from the renowned Joy Bangla Concert. Several artists took to social media to declare their support. Bangla Five’s vocalist Sina Hasan was the first to voice his stance. On July 17, he announced on his verified Facebook profile, “As an artist, I boycott the Joy Bangla Concert. May I never be invited as an artist or audience to this concert, and if the other members of my band don’t agree, I won’t hesitate to leave Bangla Five, even though I doubt my bandmates will.” The arrest of rapper Hannan Hossain Shimul, known for his track “Awaaz Utha,” on July 25 further intensified the artists’ resolve to sever ties with the concert. Raffan Imam, famed for ‘Popeye Bangladesh,’ echoed this sentiment on Monday, declaring, “You will never see me perform at a Joy Bangla Concert, ever.” Regular performers at the Joy Bangla Concert, including Arbovirus, Cryptic Fate, Nemesis, and Meghdol, also announced their withdrawal. Arbovirus stated on their official Facebook page, “Arbovirus will never perform at the Joy Bangla concert.” Cryptic Fate followed with a post saying, “Many have been asking us if we will take part in future Joy Bangla concerts... The answer is 'no’.” Nemesis clarified their position, citing recent events as the impetus for their decision. They posted, “Considering the recent events and circumstances over the past two weeks, it became obvious that we will never perform at the Joy Bangla Concert again.” Their statement emphasized support for the ongoing movement. Meghdol, another popular band, announced their stance on Thursday. “Out of respect for the emotion of our youth, Meghdol has decided not to participate in the Joy Bangla Concert. We will watch with hope for political stability in the nation; there is nothing else we can do at this moment. With this message, we are reaffirming our support for mass demand. For every murder, we want justice.”

Popular actor Arifin Shuvoo has announced his separation, concluding his nine-year marriage to Arpita Samaddar. The superstar, who portrayed the Father of the Nation in the biopic ‘Mujib: The Making of a Nation’, made the announcement on Wednesday (July 31) night from his official Facebook page. “Despite my reluctance and hesitancy to share anything personal in this situation, I believe the moment is appropriate to inform you all that Arpita and I have come to the understanding that we are compatible with each other as friends but not life partners. We have reached this decision on July 20 that we will live the rest of our lives according to our own terms but also will keep this friendship alive,” Shuvoo wrote. Arifin Shuvoo’s mother Khairun Nahar passed away back in January this year, and the actor has been devastated ever since. Expressing his gratitude to Arpita, Shuvoo added, “I am eternally grateful and indebted to Arpita for what she has done for me and my mother, despite our ups and downs. Following the loss of my mother, my life has become empty. However, I trust that your prayers and love are with me and that I will be able to enjoy the remainder of my life in peace and health.” “I pray for the forgiveness of the departed souls, including the students, who lost their lives in the recent incidents in the country and wish for the speedy recovery of the injured. May peace come to everyone's life, and may peace return to the country too,” the Dhallywood superstar concluded. Arifin Shuvoo married Arpita Samaddar, a fashion designer from West Bengal, India and currently working as a fashion designer and development manager in Dhaka, on February 6, 2015. They met a year before their wedding and got married in Kolkata, India. A National Film Award winner in Bangladesh, Shuvoo made his debut on the silver screen with the 2010 Bangladeshi sports drama film ‘Jaago’, written and directed by Khijir Hayat Khan. Besides his portrayal of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the biopic ‘Mujib: The Making of a Nation’, Shuvoo also enthralled millions of fans with his acting in a number of commercially and critically successful films, including ‘Dhaka Attack’, ‘Chhuye Dile Mon’, ‘Mission Extreme’, ‘Musafir’, ‘Black War: Mission Extreme 2’, ‘Ahaa Re’ and more. Most recently, Shuvoo has acted in the Arindom Shil-directed web series ‘Unishe April’ for the new Indian OTT Friday. He also worked in the ZEE5 web series ‘Contract’ alongside Chanchal Chowdhury, and a web film for Chorki titled ‘Unish 20’.

Former frontman of the legendary Bangladeshi band Miles and eminent singer Shafin Ahmed’s deceased body has arrived in the country on Monday from the United States. The beloved rockstar’s shocking death last Thursday (July 25) in a hospital in Virginia, United States, stunned the country’s music industry. His elder brother and Miles band leader Hamin Ahmed, who was supposed to go and receive the body in the United States on behalf of the family but could not fly at last, told the media on Monday that Shafin's body reached Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Monday (July 29) afternoon. His first namaz-e-janaza was held at Dar al Noor Islamic Community Mosque in Virginia, on Saturday at 1 pm (US local time). Hamin Ahmed informed the media that his second janaza will be held tomorrow, July 30, after Zuhr prayers at Gulshan Azad Mosque. The iconic rockstar will then be buried at Banani Graveyard. The Kulkhani of Shafin Ahmed will be held next Friday (August 2) at Gulshan Community Mosque, next to Banani Cemetery after the Jumma prayers. Hamin Ahmed, on behalf of the family and loved ones, has asked everyone to pray seeking forgiveness of the late Shafin Ahmed's soul and requested to attend his janaza and kulkhani. Born on February 14, 1961, in Kolkata’s West Bengal, India to the subcontinent’s pioneering music artists Kamal Dasgupta and Feroza Begum, the popular Bangladeshi rock bassist, singer-songwriter, and record producer breathed his last while on life support in a hospital in Virginia, United States, on Wednesday (local time) due to heart and kidney failure. According to 'Miles' keyboardist Manam Ahmed, the band debuted in 1979 under the initiative of Farid Rashid. In the beginning, the members of this band were Farid Rashid (bass and vocals), Kamal Mainuddin (drums), Musa Rahman (bass), Robin (keyboards and vocals), Ishtiaq Rahman (lead guitar), Happy Akhand (keyboards). After Ishtiaq Rahman left the band in 1980, Hamin Ahmed (guitar and vocals) joined. A few months later in the same year, Shafin Ahmed (rhythm guitar and vocals) joined the band. Robin left the band in 1981 and Manam Ahmed (keyboard) joined the team the following year. Happy Akhand became irregular in the team and also left the band around this time, and the band (Farid, Kamal, Hamin, Shafin and Manam) released an English cover audio album titled 'Miles' in 1982. In 1983, Shafin Ahmed left the band for personal reasons and moved to the UK and the rest of the band continued their activities as the Miles Band. In 1986, the band released their second English audio album 'A Step Further'. When Shafin Ahmed returned from the UK in 1990, he was brought back into the band as vocals and bass. Miles was preparing to record a Bengali album at that time, when Hamin Ahmed, Manam Ahmed, Milton Akbar (drums, joined in 1987) and Shafin Ahmed took Miles Band forward.  In 1992, the first Bengali album 'Protishruti' was released, and the popular song 'Chand Tara' (composed by Manam Ahmed, voiced by Shafin Ahmed) from the same album was aired on BTV's Eid special which later became a huge hit across the country. From then on, Miles never looked back. The band’s present drummer Syed Ziaur Rahman Turzo joined the band in 1996. Later in 1999, Syed Iqbal Asif Jewel joined as the guitarist, and this line-up continued taking the Miles team to entertain countless fans in the country and abroad with songs.  The songs of Shafin Ahmed's voice in the tune of Manam Ahmed started setting milestones one after another including popular tracks like 'Phirye Dao', 'Dhikhi Dhikhi', 'Chand Tara', ‘Jala Jala’, 'Piyashi Mon' etc. Despite his creative disputes with his bandmates at Miles, Shafin Ahmed performed and collaborated on every album of the band, starting with Miles (1982) and progressing to A Step Farther (1986), Protisruti (the band’s maiden Bengali album, 1991), Prottasha (1993), Prottoy (1996), Proyash (1997), Probaho (2000), Protiddhoni (2006), Proticchobi (2015), and Proborton (2016). Shafin Ahmed simultaneously made his place in the country’s music industry as one of its most popular and iconic singers, courtesy of his popular songs, including ‘Aj Jonmodin Tomar’, which is often considered as the anthem of birthday celebrations in the country. Written and composed by eminent music producer Prince Mahmud, the song was first featured in Prince’s mixed album Daag Theke Jay (2004). He also released several solo albums, including Tomakey (1987), Pagla Ghonti (1998), Chobi Ar Sritigulo (1999), Best of Shafin Ahmed (2001), Kotodin Dekhina Tomay (2006), Virus (2006), Harano Shukh (2007), My Love Songs (2010), and Mone Pore Aj (Nazrul Songs, as a tribute to his mother Feroza Begum, 2016).  

Films, series, and shows on Amazon Prime Video are packed with engaging storylines, impressive casts, and performances. Their selections of comedy, action, thrillers, and even reality shows amuse viewers worldwide. Every month entertainment lovers await new releases on this OTT platform. Here's a list of Amazon Prime originals coming in August 2024. 10 Must-watch Amazon Prime Originals Streaming This August . Batman: Caped Crusader | Animated Superhero Series | August 1, 2024 The animated series, from 6th & Idaho, Bad Robot Productions, and the famous Warner Bros. Animation, reimagines the pop-comic character Batman. Set in the criminals' paradise of Gotham City, the action series focuses on orphaned billionaire Bruce Wayne, who impersonates Batman to save the terrorized citizens. He has to face many undesirable consequences in this life full of conflict and chaos at every step. ‘Batman: Caped Crusader’ features the voice-overs of Diedrich Bader, Hamish Linklater, Jason Watkins, Christina Ricci, Jamie Chung, Eric Morgan Stuart, Mckenna Grace, and Haley Joel Osment. Created by Bob Kane and Bruce Timm, the superhero series is brought to fruition by directors Christopher Berkeley, Christina Sotta, and Matt Peters. Read more: Amazon Prime Video June 2024 Releases: Exclusive Films, Web Series, and Shows Influenced | Talk show | August 1, 2024 Unlike the other talk shows, this series is led by popular social media content creators and influencers. Spanning 30 minutes, the episodes will have social media stars Eyal Booker, Achieng Agutu, Cyrus Veyssi, Tefi Pessoa, and Taryn Delanie Smith as the co-hosts. Neither the podcast nor the traditional talk, ‘Influenced’ excels as the best of both, presenting everyday life in a new way to the audience. It will explore a wide range of topics like lifestyle, fashion, beauty, travel, food, home design, mental health, wellness, spirituality, and pop culture. Jill Van Lokeren serves as the showrunner and one of its producers, along with Reese Witherspoon and Hello Sunshine’s Elizabeth Sandorff, Sara Rea, and Sue Kinkead. Read more: Korean Dramas to Binge-Watch on Netflix in June 2024 The Mallorca Files (Season 3) | Crime Drama Series | August 8, 2024 Set on the glamorous Spanish island of Mallorca, this detective series boasts Dan Sefton as its creator, lead writer, and showrunner. The drama series centers around the detective duo of British Miranda Blake and German Max Winter, who eventually team up together despite their differing perceptions. In Season 3, under the supervision of Ines Villegas, they go through high-stakes adventures like treasure hunts, kidnappings, murders, and arson. Along the way, they get their mutual understanding and odd partnership tested. The new season features international guest celebrities including Philippe Brenninkmeyer, Enrique Arce, Charlie Higson, David Mora, Leonor Watling, Elena Saurel, and Michael Jibson. Sarah-Lou Hawkins, Dan Muirden, Emily Fairweather, Alex McBride, and Jackie Okwera have also contributed to the script for Season 3. The series flourishes with Dominic Barlow as the producer, and Kate Cheeseman, Craig Pickles, and Rob Evans directing the latest season. Read more: June 2024 Bollywood Buzz: 10 Most Hyped Hindi Film Releases One Fast Move | Action Film | August 8, 2024 Starring KJ Apa, Maia Reficco, Eric Dane, Austin North, and Edward James Olmos, this movie thrives under the meticulous writing and directing of Kelly Blatz. The production credit goes to Mike Karz and Bill Bindley. The movie tells a dream-come-true story where a young lad sets out in search of his estranged father to become a professional motorcycle racer. He vows to overcome the obstacles created by his father's absence. The boy’s girlfriend, the owner of a motorcycle shop, joins this endeavor making the storyline more interesting. Read more: July 2024 Netflix English Originals: Top 10 Must-Watch Releases 5x Comedia (Season 2) | Comedy TV Show | August 8, 2024 The creator of this Brazilian anthology TV series is Monique Gardenberg, who adapted it from the theater franchise of the same name created by Silvia Gardenberg. The theme highlights the social isolation that emerged in the context of the Coronavirus pandemic. Following that backdrop, the new season will focus on the revolutionary changes in people's work lives. Season two stars Lazaro Ramos, Fabiana Karla, Ingrid Guimaraes, Fernanda Paes Leme, and the only returning cast member, Rafael Portugal. The comedy show is shaped by the directing of Monique, and the actor Lazaro, along with Rodrigo Vander Put, Flavia Lacerda, Rafael Primot, and Ian SBF. The production team includes Maria Angela De Jesus, Tereza Gonzalez, and Jeffrey Neale. Read more: July 2024 Amazon Prime Originals: Must-Watch Shows, Series, and Movies

The ongoing student protest demanding quota reform took a wild turn on Tuesday, and popular celebrities from different sectors in the country’s entertainment industry took to social media to express their feelings on the nationwide chaotic situation. Popular actors, filmmakers and social media personalities including actress Pori Moni, Tama Mirza, Shobnom Bubly, Puja Cherry, Jessia Islam, Rukaiya Jahan Chamak,  actor Siam Ahmed, Nasir Uddin Khan, Salman Mohammad Muqtadir, Niloy Alamgir, Khairul Basar, Irfan Sazzad, content creator Iftekhar Rafsan, filmmakers including Raihan Rafi, Asfaque Nipun, Khijir Hayat Khan, Fakhrul Arefeen Khan, Redoan Rony, Shihab Shaheen, cartoonist Morshed Mishu, author-publisher Mohammad Nazimuddin and many others expressed their anger, solidarity and hopefulness regarding the quota reform protest. Besides, several celebrated music stars including music director Prince Mahmud, lyricist-writer-poet Latiful Islam Shibly, singer Tasrif Khan, Ahmed Hasan Sunny, Zunayed Evan, Sina Hasan, Mac Haque, Ziaur Rahman and others, to name a few; alongside popular bands including Ashes, Indalo, Nemesis, Kaaktaal, Shohojia, Shonar Bangla Circus and many more showcased their support for the protesting students and the deceased amid the chaos of Tuesday. A particular image of a female bloodied Dhaka University student shivering in fear after being brutally beaten during the quota reform clash went viral on social media. Sharing the image, Pori Moni wrote: "If you remain silent about violence against women, you are a hypocrite." “Live with backbone, as long as you live” - this was written on a Facebook post on July 15 by Abu Sayed, a student of the English Department at the Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur and one of the organisers of the quota reform movement who was killed on Tuesday during a clash between police and protesters seeking quota reform on the campus.  Prominent director Ashfaque Nipun reposted that quote, adding: “Let’s live with the backbone as long we live.” Model and actress Jessia Islam wrote: “I stand with the students of Bangladesh in their protest against the reinstatement of the quota system in government jobs, advocating for a fair and merit-based selection process.” Singer-musician and Bangla Five vocalist Sina Hasan wrote: “As an artist, I boycott the "Joy Bangla" concert. May I never be invited as an artist or audience to this concert, and if the other members of my band don't agree, I won't hesitate to leave Bangla Five, even though my bandmates don't have that possibility at all.” YouTuber and social media celebrity Salman Muqtadir, known for his bold personality and sharp-tongued statements, offered necessary accommodation and assistance to protesting and affected students. Screengrabs of him personally helping in such contexts have gone viral and are being appreciated among the netizens. Another popular YouTuber Iftekhar Rafsan, better known as 'Rafsan the Chotobhai' - wrote: "Campuses are supposed to be safe places for the students. Ours have been turned into battlefields which should never have happened in the first place. Unacceptable! This must stop now. We must remember that we are humans first, May Allah protect everyone." Several of these celebrities have also either changed the profile pictures of their respective profiles and pages or shared cartons-caricatures, in solidarity with the ongoing quota reform protest of the students.

Shannen Doherty, the “Beverly Hills, 90210” star whose life and career were roiled by illness and tabloid stories, has died at 53. Doherty died Saturday, according to a statement from her publicist, Leslie Sloane. She had had breast cancer for years. “The devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend was surrounded by her loved ones as well as her dog, Bowie. The family asks for their privacy at this time so they can grieve in peace,” Sloane said in a statement. The news was first reported by People magazine. Her illness was publicly revealed in a lawsuit filed in 2015 against her former business managers, in which she alleged they mismanaged her money and allowed her health insurance to lapse. She later shared intimate details of her treatment following a single mastectomy. In December 2016, she posted a photo of her first day of radiation, calling the treatment "frightening" for her. In February 2020, Doherty revealed that the cancer had returned and she was at stage four. She said she came forward because her health conditions could come out in court. The actor had sued insurance giant State Farm after her California home was damaged in a fire in 2018. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Doherty moved to Los Angeles with her family at age 7 and, within a few years, became an actor. “It was completely my decision,” she told The Associated Press in a 1994 interview. “My parents never pushed me into anything. They support me. It really wouldn’t matter if I was a professional soccer player — they’d still be as supportive and loving.” Robert Towne, Oscar-winning writer of ‘Chinatown,’ dies at 89 As a child star, she worked steadily in such TV series as “Little House on the Prairie,” in which she played Jenny Wilder. She detoured as a teenager to the big screen in “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” (1985) and “Heathers.” In 1990, the doe-eyed, dark-haired actor won her breakout role as Brenda Walsh in producer Aaron Spelling’s hit teenage melodrama set in posh Beverly Hills. She and Jason Priestley’s Brandon, Brenda’s twin brother, were fish-out-of-water Midwesterners. But Doherty’s fame came with media scrutiny and accounts of outbursts, drinking and impulsiveness — the latter most notably after a very brief marriage to George Hamilton’s son. She left “90210” at the end of its fourth season in 1994 (the show aired until 2000), reportedly removed by Spelling because of conflicts with her co-stars and chronic lateness. But in her 1994 AP interview, Doherty described her life as peaceful. “It must be, if you pick up the Enquirer and find the only thing they can write about me is that I installed a pay phone next to my house and was seen at Stroud’s (a discount bed-and-bath chain) buying $1,400 worth of bed linens and wouldn’t go to an expensive store,” she said. “It must be calm if they’re pulling that stuff out of their heads.” Three years later, in 1997, Doherty was sentenced to anger-management counseling by a Beverly Hills Municipal Court judge after she allegedly smashed a beer bottle onto a man’s windshield during a quarrel. In another legal scrape, she pleaded no contest after a 2001 drunken driving arrest and was ordered to serve five days in a work-release program. Albania's world-renowned novelist Ismail Kadare dies at 88 Doherty reunited with Spelling when he cast her in 1998 as Prue Halliwell in “Charmed.” In an AP interview that year, the actor expressed regrets about her past. “I did bring a lot of it on myself,” Doherty said. “I don’t think I can point fingers and say, ‘Oh, YOU’RE to blame.’ And I don’t do that with myself, either. Because I was just growing up.” Her personality was “grotesquely misconstrued” by the media, Doherty added. Spelling said at the time that their relationship was never as bad as some made it seem. “We had a few bumps along the road, but golly, who doesn’t?” said Spelling, who died in 2006. “Everything Shannen did was blown out of proportion by the rag sheets.” Doherty co-starred with Holly Marie Combs and Alyssa Milano in “Charmed” from 1998-2001, at which point her character was replaced by one played by Rose McGowan. Doherty appeared in the “90210” sequel series seven years later, along with original series star Jennie Garth, and competed on “Dancing with the Stars” in 2010. She also worked on the third “Beverly Hills, 90210” reboot, called “BH90210,” a meta send-up of the show that aired for one season in 2019. Doherty struggled to recapture her “Beverly Hills, 90210” star status, but worked in big-screen films including “Mallrats” and “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back” and in such TV movies as “A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story,” in which she played the “Gone with the Wind” author. A nadir was “Blindfold: Acts of Obsession,” an erotic thriller opposite Judd Nelson. Darrell Christian, former AP managing editor and sports editor, dies at 75 Doherty's lawsuit against her ex-business managers was settled in 2016. She was open about the toll that cancer was taking on her. She posted photos that showed the baldness that followed treatment and, in an August 2016 interview with “Entertainment Tonight,” shared her fears. “The unknown is always the scariest part,” she said. “Is the chemo going to work? Is the radiation going to work?” she said. “Pain is manageable, you know living without a breast is manageable, it’s the worry of your future and how your future is going to affect the people that you love.” Doherty’s second marriage, in 2002, was to Rick Salomon, who was involved in a sex-tape incident with Paris Hilton. The marriage was annulled within a year. In 2011, Doherty married photographer Kurt Iswarienko. She filed for divorce in April 2023.

Bongo, a digital entertainment platform, is set to release its latest original drama, ‘Kanta’ (The Thorn), tomorrow, July 12. Written and directed by Riyad Mahmud, ‘Kanta’ explores the pervasive issue of corruption in everyday offices, focusing on the story of a clerk who misuses his position for personal gain. The recently released trailer on Bongo's social media platforms introduces the main character, Fazlu, portrayed by popular actor and director Sharaf Ahmed Zibon, said a press release. Fazlu is a clerk who withholds people's files to extort bribes, thereby significantly improving his household's financial situation. Mostofa Sarwar Farooki's Debut Web Series "Ladies and Gentlemen" is now on digital platform However, his life takes an unexpected turn when a fishbone gets lodged in his throat during a meal. The unfolding events promise to be both humorous and thought-provoking, urging viewers to question the real cost of corruption. Mushfiqur Rahman Manzu, Bongo's Chief Content Officer, commented on the drama's relevance and appeal: “Kanta is a very timely story. Through humor, it highlights a harsh reality of today's society. Bongo always strives to bring unique and engaging stories to our audience. I believe the audience will relate very well to the story of ‘Kanta’.” ‘Emon Jodi Hoto’: a unique rendezvous of popular Bengali literary characters on television The cast of ‘Kanta’ also includes notable actors such as Solaiman Khoka, Twink Carol, Saiful Islam Rafi, and Sushma Sarkar, who bring depth and dynamism to their respective roles. Viewers can catch the premiere of ‘Kanta’ tomorrow on the Bongo app and website.

Recently, rumours have been circulating online that Cartoon Network, the popular American cable television channel adored by its young audiences worldwide for cartoons like Tom and Jerry, The Flintstones, Scooby-Doo, and more, is shutting down. However, multiple sources have confirmed that the claims are incorrect. The speculation and rumours about Cartoon Network's demise have originated from a trend that went viral on X (formerly Twitter) with the hashtag "RIP Cartoon Network" on Tuesday, and soon it broke the internet. A group called Animation Workers Ignited, which appears to be connected to the animators' union, made that tweet. However, several reputable news outlets, including international news agency Marca, Indian news mediums The Times of India, Pinkvilla, Hindustan Times, and many other news outlets, have confirmed that Cartoon Network is not shutting down. The misleading tweet asked its followers to post about their favourite Cartoon Network shows using the #RIPCartoonNetwork hashtag, which raised concerns among fans across many countries, including Bangladesh, that the channel is on the verge of its demise and would soon announce the closing of its studio. The heartbroken fans started sharing a picture of the network's former headquarters on social media outlets including Facebook, Instagram, and X, which was reportedly shot last year after the firm moved its operations, further intensifying rumours of an official closure. X has since clarified the matter by issuing community notes on the posts, writing, “Cartoon Network has not shut down, there is no evidence to suggest that it is shutting down. The associated hashtag #RIPCartoon Network originates from Animation Workers Ignited, an account advocating for the unionisation of animators.” Launched on October 1, 1992, Cartoon Network is one of the most popular children's television channels in the world. The channel became a household name to the millions and also to Bangladeshi audiences, with the arrival of cable television networks and international television channels in the country during the 1990s. Tom and Jerry, Scooby Doo, The Powerpuff Girls, Popeye the Sailor, Dexter's Laboratory, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Johnny Bravo, Looney Tunes, Bob the Builders, Jumanji, and Ben 10 are some of the most popular cartoon shows on the channel, which garnered massive popularity in Bangladesh as well, especially among the 90’s kids.