United News of Bangladesh

Cox’s Bazar is now buzzing with tourists who have flocked to the beach town to witness 2022’s final sunset and welcome the New Year. Tourists and locals enjoyed the last sunset of 2022 on the beach and bid farewell to 2022. Masud Chowdhury and Samantha Rahman, a tourist couple from Narayanganj, said, “We welcome 2023 with a trip to Cox's Bazar to let go of disappointment, sadness, and pain." Apart from the beach, tourists flock to the city's Burmese market, Himachari, Inani, Patuatek, and other tourist attractions. Tourism businessmen, beach workers, and tourist police are busy hosting tourists. Abul Kashem Sikder, general secretary of the Cox's Bazar Hotel Motel Guest House Owners' Association, said that some 90% of rooms have already been reserved for the '31st Night' (New Year's Eve) celebration this year. Read more: Revellers gather in Cox's Bazar to usher in New Year Executive Magistrate Masum Billah, in charge of the tourism cell of the district administration, said that like every year, lakhs of tourists have gathered at Cox's Bazar beach to welcome the year 2023. Md. Zillur Rahman, Police Superintendent of Tourist Police, said that the tourist police have also taken several security measures to ensure the safety of tourists. “Additional police will be deployed in Himchari, Inani, and Patuartek zones when the St. Martin cruise starts on January 1,” he said. Read more: Cox's Bazar: Long weekend over Xmas a fillip for domestic tourism

The music industry in Bangladesh observed a comparatively successful year, in comparison to the pandemic-induced 2020 and 2021. Returning to the full normalcy from the virtual events, this year was warmly greeted with several in-person concerts and programmes from the very beginning. The Listeners were enamoured with the maiden edition of Coke Studio Bangla at the beginning of this year, produced and curated by the majestic singer-composer-music producer Shayan Chowdhury Arnob.  Coke Studio Bangla Season One featured a total of nine exclusive fusion tracks and two promotional songs, hosted a historic concert and showcased a handful of breakout stars including Animes Roy, Rituraj Baidya, Sanzida Mahmood Nandita, Ripon Kumar (Boga Taleb), Kaniz Khandaker Mitu, Makhon Mia, Rap group Jalali Set and Indian-Bengali music stars including Madhubanti Bagchi, Sunidhi Nayak and Soumyadeep Murshidabadi.  The nine songs - based on the emotions of celebration, devotion, love, craze, reminiscence, compassion, wedding, the fascination of romance and aspiration for freedom, also featured prominent and popular Bangladeshi singers including Pantha Kanai, Momotaz Begom, Mizan Rahman, Nigar Sumi, Tahsan Khan, Bappa Mazumder, Samina Chowdhury, Dilshad Nahar Kona, and the maestro himself, Arnob. The season was captivating and successful according to the audiences, and everyone is looking forward to the upcoming Season Two in 2023. 

Dhallywood star Pori Moni hinted at separation from her husband, actor Sariful Razz, on her social media account shortly after midnight. The post began with a New Year's greeting of “Happy 31st, everyone!” which afterwards hinted at a troubled marriage. “Today I said adieu to Razz from my life and also freed myself from this toxic relationship. Nothing is more important than living a healthy life,” wrote Pori. Also Read: Rape, murder attempts case: Pori Moni gives statement Within minutes, the post went viral, with many celebrities and netizens urging Pori Moni to remain calm and take her time before making a final decision. The actors first met while working on the movie "Gunin." Seven days after that, they tied the knot on October 17 last year.  

The 108th birth anniversary of the master painter and pioneering art educator Zainul Abedin, widely revered as the 'Shilpacharya' (great master of fine arts), is being observed on Thursday . Zainul Abedin, who was born on December 29, 1914, in Kishoreganj, was a key figure in the formation of the Dhaka University Faculty of Fine Art (FFA) and the Folk Art Museum in Sonargaon, Narayanganj. The 108th birth anniversary of Shilpacharya is being celebrated with a variety of celebrations, most notably the traditional ‘Zainul Utsab’ and ‘Zainul Mela’ by Dhaka University's Faculty of Fine Art. Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni joined the inauguration ceremony of the three-day festivities as the chief guest, while DU Vice-Chancellor Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman inaugurated the festival. The prestigious ‘Zainul Award 2022’ was also handed over to three art luminaries - former DU FFA Dean Professor Emdadul Haque Mohammad Matlub Ali, eminent artist Shahid Kabir and Indian contemporary art historian, art critic, and curator Raman Shiv Kumar. Read: 106th birth anniversary of Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin today Earlier, the Faculty of Fine Art and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) Department of Fine Arts placed floral wreaths on the grave of the Shilpacharya in the morning. Zainul Abedin earned global respect for his 1943 illustrations of the Bengal famine. He visited Palestinian camps in Syria and Jordan in 1970 and made 60–70 paintings of the refugees there, adding just another example of his caliber as a modern, international artist. During his childhood, he discovered his love of art while a young child frolicking by the Brahmaputra River.  His motherland, Bangladesh (then East Pakistan), welcomed him back after he graduated from the Government Art School in Kolkata in 1932. However, shortly after the Indian subcontinent was divided in 1947, he permanently departed Kolkata and came back to his own motherland in Bangladesh. The Dhaka Art Institute was subsequently founded with active help from Zainul Abedin, who was appointed as the institute's principal in 1949. The institute was later developed into Dhaka University's Faculty of Fine Art. He retired from the Dhaka Art Institute in 1967 and was conferred the honorary title of Shilpacharya (great master of fine arts) by the institute. Prior taking the mantle of Shilpacharya, Zainul Abedin received two years of training from Slade School of Fine Art in London and developed a new style of art called the 'Bengali style' featuring folk art forms with their geometric shapes including the usage of semi-abstract representation and primary colours. Read: Tribute to Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin on his 107th birth anniversary However, he lacked the sense of perspective, realising the limitations of folk art, and went back to nature, rural life and the daily struggles of people to make art that would be realistic but modern in appearance, thus being the pioneer of modern artistic style in the subcontinent. Known for the simple yet majestic projection of natural and social hazards, Zainul painted the 1970 Bhola cyclone that devastated then East Pakistan, portraying the effect of the cyclone through his painting ‘Monpura’. As a fond lover of folk arts, Zainul formed Charu O Karu Shilpi Sangram Parishad and also collected a large number of traditional crafts, ceramic works, nakshi kanthas in his lifetime which he preserved through founding the Folk Art Museum at Sonargaon, Narayanganj in 1975.  He also founded the Zainul Abedin Sangrahashala, a gallery of his own works at the Shaheeb Quarter Park on the bank of his nostalgia-infused Brahmaputra River in Mymensingh in the same year. In 1973, Zainul received  honorary D.Litt from Delhi University. He was declared National Professor of Bangladesh in 1975. NASA honoured the iconic artist by naming a crater on the planet Mercury after the painter, called the 'Abedin Crater' in 2009. The revered artist passed away in Dhaka on May 28, 1976 after losing his battle with lung cancer. He was buried beside the Dhaka University Central Mosque.

 Popular actor-singer Chanchal Chowdhury lost his father Radha Govinda Chowdhury on Tuesday night at a city hospital. He was 90. The acclaimed actor’s father breathed his last at 7:50 pm at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Green Life hospital in the capital.Actress and Chanchal Chowdhury’s friend Shahnaz Khushi confirmed this on her Facebook profile on Tuesday night. Read more: Eminent film actor Wasim passes away His last rites will take place at the hometown of Chanchal Chowdhury in Kamarhat of Sujanagar upazila, Pabna on Wednesday.Radha Govinda Chowdhury was admitted to the hospital due to old-age complications. He was taken to the ICU after his health deteriorated. Mentioning his father’s illness, Chanchal Chowdhury wrote on his Facebook profile on December 25: “For 13 days now, my father has been in the ICU on life support. We are just counting the days now.”

Reuniting with his beloved fans after 2019, popular Bangladeshi-American producer, composer, and singer-songwriter Fuad Almuqtadir grooved the Dhaka audience with ‘Fuad Live’ on Sunday night at the capital’s International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) Expo Zone. Organised by SkyTracker Limited, the concert featured a star-studded line-up including Bassbaba Sumon, Pantho Kanai, Anila, Elita, Rafa, Zohad, Fairuz, Tashfee, Xefer, Tasnim Anika, Hasib, Riasat, Pavel, Ashreen, Aly Hasan, Zaki Adnan, Black Jang, Shafayat, Scionara and more. The concert featured several performances of Fuad and friends, and began with Hasib’s performance of ‘Dak Diyachen’ which throttled the ‘Fuad Intro’ part of the concert. The segment then featured Fairuz performing 'Tumi Hina', followed by a couple of tracks by Tashfee. Popular singer Xefer then rocked the audience with Fuad’s popular song 'Besto Shohore'. Read: 32 bands to take the stage of Dhaka Rock Fest 3.0 on December 27,28 Reuniting with Fuad after a long time, Elita performed her popular tracks 'Kothay' and ‘Urey Jete Chai’. Pantha Kanai then grooved the audiences with a crazy performance of ‘Nouka’ and ‘Chumki’, which was followed by rap performances of Back Jang and the viral ‘Bebshar Poristhiti’ famed singer Aly Hasan’s group with their popular tracks. Fairuz then took the stage, concluding the ‘Fuad Intro’ part. The next part, the ‘Rafa intro’ began with AvoidRafa, Cryptic Fate and former Aurthohin member Rafa’s majestic performances including the song ‘Anmone 2’ which was originally mastered by Fuad. This was followed by ‘Manbo Na’ by Ashreen and Zaki Adnan, followed by two rocking tracks by Nemesis frontman Zohad and Arekta Rock Band’s Riasat. The ‘Bassbaba Sumon intro’ then began as the concluding part of the event. The night's biggest attraction was from this intro and the segment where Bassbaba Sumon, Fuad and Anila Naz Choudhury performed together on stage for the first time in 14 years since 2008, after their critically acclaimed 2007 album ‘Ekhon Ami’. “The last time I performed on stage with Fuad was for the Joy Bangla concert (2020). On that particular day, I came to the venue by ambulance and wondered if I would ever be able to walk into the stage or perform again. Fast forward to 2022, and here I am once again performing with Anila, and Fuad and with a much better physical condition - and I believe it is a miracle because of your prayers and wishes,” said an emotional Sumon, thanking the audience. Read: Mehreen honoured with BCRA ‘Best Pop Singer’ Award Anila began the intro with her popular song ‘Ke Bashi Bajay Re’ from Fuad's 2007 album ‘Bonno’, the biggest hit of his career. The soulful tribute to the Happy Akhand-Lucky Akhand track was then followed by the mesmerizing performance of Sumon and Anila, who performed their superhit song ‘Gaibo Na’ after 14 years on stage. Tasnim Anika then grooved the night with two of Fuad’s most popular and electrifying tracks, ‘Tumi Ki Shara Debe’ and ‘Rupban’. Tashfee then performed ‘Bhromor’, followed by Hasib’s rendition of another popular Fuad remake ‘Nitol Paaye’ and the concert ended with the official song for the ICC World Twenty20 World Cup 2014 song ‘Char Chhokka Hoi Hoi’ by Johan. Fuad’s first full-length album was the self-released ‘Maya’ in 1998, followed by his next album, Re/Evolution, released in 2003 featuring dancehall, R&B, hip hop, and pop styles and artists from 6 different countries across 3 different continents, establishing him as one of Bangladesh’s most promising producers along with Habib Wahid and Arnob, his contemporaries in the industry. Fuad Live was presented by its telecom partner Banglalink, beverage partner Nescafe, payment partner bKash, community partner Bangladesh Band Music Forum Community and PR partner MediaQuest Bangladesh.

Thirty-two bands are set to light up the stage of the Dhaka Rock Fest 3.0, one of the most anticipated band music festivals in the capital, on December 27 and 28 at the International Convention City Bashundhara Expo Zone. The third edition of this musical rendezvous, organised by SkyTracker and presented by telecom operator Banglalink, will feature different bands including Warfaze, Aurthohin, Meghdol, Artcell, Nemesis, AvoidRafa, and Cryptic Fate. "Rock music is incredibly popular among the youth in Bangladesh and we want to entertain the concert-loving young crowd. So, we organise this concert regularly," SkyTracker Director Sazid Islam said Saturday. Qazi Urfi Ahmad, brand and communication director of Banglalink Digital Communication said: "We have been regularly organising and sponsoring various programmes considering the needs of the youth of our country, such as the Dhaka Rock Fest." The gates of this year's Banglalink Dhaka Rock Fest 3.0 will open at 10am on both days. The first day of the concert will feature Apekkhik, Arekta Rock Band, Artcell, Bangla Five, Bangu Bibi, Brahmaputra, Cryptic Fate, Fantasy Realm, Karnival, Nemesis, Owned, Power Surge, Sonar Bangla Circus, Torture Goregrinder, Trainwreck, and Unmaad. The second day of the concert will feature Aftermath, Arbovirus, Aurthohin, AvoidRafa, Bay of Bengal, Calypso, Conclusion, Dads in the Park, Mechanix, Meghdol, Severe Dementia, Shepherds, Shuvo Jatra, Sin, Subconscious and Warfaze. Concertgoers can buy tickets for Dhaka Rock Fest 3.0 from the event's ticketing partner Get Set Rock's website. Tickets for a single day will cost Tk500 and combo tickets for both days will cost Tk900.  Digital entertainment app Toffee is the streaming partner of the event.  

Singer Mehreen has been honoured with the Bangladesh Cultural Reporters Association (BCRA) Best Pop Singer Award 2022 for her outstanding contribution throughout her illustrious career in the music industry. The award was handed over at the 27th anniversary of BCRA held at the International Mother Language Institute in the capital recently. Read: Pooja to receive Vietnam President’s “Friendship Medal” Wednesday Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud attended the programme as the chief guest and handed over the award to the singer. President of Nagorik Dhaka’s President M Nayeem Hossain was also present there.   

Bangladeshi-American music record producer, composer, musician and singer-songwriter Fuad Almuqtadir is all set to rock the Dhaka audience with ‘Fuad Live’, one of the biggest concerts in years on December 25 at the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) Expo Zone in the capital. The concert is being organised by SkyTracker Limited and will feature an ensemble cast of more than 30 popular music artistes from the country including Elita, Rafa, Pantho Kanai, Zohad, Fairuz, Tashfi, Xefer, Tasnim Anika, Black Zang, Aly Hasan and more. Two biggest surprises have been announced for this gala concert, as this will feature Bassbaba Sumon, Fuad and Anila Naz Chowdhury together for the first time in 14 years since 2008, and Stoic Bliss, one of the most popular urban musical groups known for their cult-popular song 'Abar Jigay’. Regarding his participation in the concert, Bassbaba Sumon wrote on his Facebook page: “The last time I performed on stage with Fuad was for the Joy Bangla concert (2020). Back then, I was in really bad physical condition. On that particular day, I cautiously walked onto the stage holding a walking stick and could not perform properly due to my illness. I wondered if I would ever be able to walk into the stage or perform again.” Read more: 'Adventure of Sundarban': Trail of children's film starring Pori Moni, Siam released “However, as 2022 comes to an end, I am posting this status today for a special reason. I will return to the stage to reunite with Fuad on the following 25th. Insha'Allah, I will step onto the stage that day in good health any crutches and you'll see Anila, Fuad, and I performing together,” Bassbaba Sumon wrote. Doza Alan, Chief Executive Officer of Sky Tracker Limited said, “We are bringing Fuad Live back to the stage after a long time since 2019. It is anticipated that having Fuad, Bassbaba Sumon, and Anila on the same stage will spark a great deal of excitement and surprise among the audience. We are planning this open-air concert with keeping our youth as the main priority at the Expo Zone, as the past concerts held at the Expo Zone received incredibly encouraging feedback from the fans.” Tickets for the concert were released on December 14 and can be purchased from the show’s ticketing partner Get Set Rocks’ website at https://getsetrock.com/.  Two tiers of tickets are available for the event - regular for 500 Tk and VIP for 2000 taka.  Read more: 'Amar E Gaan': Aurthohin back with new music video after six years The gates of the Expo Zone will open for the concertgoers at 4 pm.  One of the most popular music composers among the youth in Bangladesh for incorporating fusion, folk, rock, pop and electronic dance music, Fuad Almuqtadir garnered popularity for his works with prominent singers including Sumon, Topu, Mila, Elita, Anila, Upol, Poonam and more.  Fuad’s first full-length album was the self-released Maya in 1998, which shot him to underground popularity in the diaspora. His next album, Re/Evolution, was released in 2003 featuring dancehall, R&B, hip hop, and pop styles and artists from 6 different countries across 3 different continents, establishing him as one of Bangladesh’s most promising producers along with Habib Wahid and Arnob, his contemporaries in the industry. Fuad Live is presented by its telecom partner Banglalink, beverage partner Nescafe, payment partner bKash, community partner Bangladesh Band Music Forum Community and PR partner MediaQuest Bangladesh.

Several renowned cultural organisations hosted various events across the country to celebrate the 52nd Victory Day of Bangladesh with festivities. Organisations and institutions, namely Bangla Academy, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA), Chhayanaut, Liberation War Museum (LWM), Sammilita Sangskritik Jote, Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigosthi and others hosted cultural shows and discussions at different venues on Friday and Saturday. The festivities in the city began with a three-day ‘Bijoymela’ organised by Bangla Academy on December 15 at its Nazrul Mancha. State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid inaugurated the event, which was comprised of a seminar on December 15 at the Abdul Karim Sahitya Bisharad Auditorium. Bangla Academy staff alongside its Director General poet Nurul Huda placed floral wreaths at the National Martyrs Memorial on Victory Day, and the ‘Bijoymela’ was concluded on Saturday. Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) staff and artistes also placed floral wreaths at the National Martyrs’ Memorial and organised several cultural events throughout Friday. The cultural shows comprised patriotic songs, recitations, dance and a special performance segment with child artists at the Nandan Mancha on the BSA, featuring child artistes from Sporsho Braille, and a dance recital by differently abled children’s troupe Karishma Cultural Group. Returning after two years since its maiden edition in 2015, cultural institution Chhayanaut organised a programme at the Dhaka University Central Playground featuring solo and group songs, recitations and dance recitals. The event was on a hiatus due to Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and Dhaka University Birth Centenary events in 2021.  Read more: Cultural orgs celebrate Victory Day amid festivities Chhayanaut artistes performed eight group songs and two solo songs compiled with dance recitals, and recitations by Jayanto Chattopadhyay at the event. The festivity concluded at 4:31 pm with a group song performance along with the audience, marking the exact moment when the Pakistan Military surrendered to the allied forces of Bangladesh and India in 1971.