Arts-&-Culture
Doleshwar Hanafia Jame Mosque now wins Abdul Latif Al Fozan Award
Doleshwar Hanafia Jame Mosque, situated in Keraniganj on the outskirts of Dhaka, has won the 'Abdul Latif Al Fozan Award' as a model of Muslim architecture.
Seven mosques from all over the world were presented this award.
A total of 201 mosques of 43 countries from three continents participated in the competition. The award was given to Doleshwar Hanafia Jame Mosque, popularly known as Lal Mosque, from a short list of 27 mosques.
Prince Sultan bin Salman, chairman of the award board of trustees, and Prince Faisal bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Governor of Madinah Province, were present at the awards ceremony in Al Madinah Al Munawara.
Read: Doleshwar Hanafia Jame Mosque wins UNESCO award
The Abdullatif Al Fozan Award for Mosque Architecture was introduced in 2011, targeting the architectural, urban, and technical aspects of mosques all over the world.
Earlier, Doleshwar Hanafia Jame Mosque won the ‘Award of Merit’ in the 2021 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.
This old mosque was built in 1868.
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said modernization must be done by preserving the heritage.
“Personally, I am very happy that this mosque has been associated with our family tradition and passion for over one and a half centuries, which is now earning international recognition one after another,” Hamid said.
Nasrul Hamid had taken an initiative for the restoration of the mosque keeping the main infrastructure intact.
Later, architect Abu Sayeed M Ahmed led the year-long restoration project, finishing it in 2018.
Cosmos-Atelier 71 hosts Artist Residency Programme
Fostering the studio-based artistic practices for painters in Bangladesh with a prime focus on popularising the medium of Printmaking, Cosmos-Atelier 71 has been patronizing up-and-coming and talented artists through its exclusive ‘Artist Residency Programme’ for more than a decade.
Generally held twice on a calendar year, the ‘Artist Residency Programme’ returned at the Cosmos-Atelier 71 at the Cosmos Centre, Malibagh, in the capital which has been running from September till December this year, after being put on hold for a while due to the ongoing global pandemic of COVID-19.
Four talented and young painters and visual artists in the country - Iqbal Bahar Chy, Farzana Rahman Bobby, Kamruzzoha, and Abu Kalam Shamsuddin, Assistant Professor, Drawing and Painting Discipline at Khulna University, participated in this year’s residency programme. Etching Aquatint, Wood Intaglio, Drypoint, Collagraph - these are the four mediums they utilized during the tenure of this programme, based on their respective themes.
Also read: 'Inside Out’: Day-long painting, printmaking and origami workshop for children at Gallery Cosmos
“Envisioned by late eminent Bangladeshi artist Kalidas Karmakar who is revered as the guardian angel for the Cosmos-Atelier71 as its founding member and lifelong adviser, the residency programme provides the optimum blend of peace and absolutely astounding surroundings for the painters with all the modern types of equipment and amenities for Printmaking. Inside our serene and welcoming environment, painters work intensively and independently in the atelier, and that was the motto behind the residency programme which we are glad to host this year after its hiatus due to the global pandemic of Covid-19,” Sourav Chowdhury, Executive Artistic Manager at Gallery Cosmos and Cosmos Atelier71, described the initiative to UNB.
Bangla Academy confers eminent personalities with Awards, Honorary Fellowship for 2021
Bangla Academy has awarded seven prominent individuals for contributions in the literary and cultural fields and honorary fellowships to seven eminent personalities on Friday.
The academy handed over the awards and fellowships at its 44th annual general meeting organized at the 'Nazrul Mancha' on the premises of Bangla Academy on Friday noon.
Poet, writer and organizer Dr Tasikul Islam Raja received the S’adat Ali Akhand Sahitya Puraskar 2021, Ornithologist Enam Ul Haque received Meher Kabir Bigyansahitya Puraskar 2021, Saumitra Chakravarty won the Halima-Sarfuddin Bigyan Lekhak Puraskar 2021, Ferdousi Mazumder received the maiden edition of the Adhyapak Momtazuddin Ahmed Natyajan Puraskar 2021.
Besides, Sirajul Islam won the Sahityik Mohammed Barkatullah Prabandhasahitya Puraskar 2021, renowned Bangladeshi rhymester Sukumar Barua won the Mazharul Islam Kabita Puraskar 2021 and Dr Atiur Rahman, former Governor of the Bangladesh Bank, received the Rabindra Puraskar 2021 at the event.
Bangla Academy president Ramendu Majumder and Director General Poet Nurul Huda handed over crests, certificates of honour and cheques to the awardees.
Moreover, seven people were awarded Bangla Academy Honorary Fellowship-2021 at the event. Recipients of the Fellowship are - former Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury, Poet Azizur Rahman Aziz, Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP) Founder Valerie A Taylor, Ekushey Padak winner Bangladeshi flutist Ustad Azizul Islam, Music Director and Composer Professor Sheikh Saadi Khan, Freedom Fighter and Dramatist M Hamid, and Cultural Personality Golam Quddus.
Bangla Academy honours influential personalities with these special awards and fellowships every year, in recognition of creative genius in advancement and overall contribution to the field of Bengali society and culture.
'Sisimpur' nominated for International Kidscreen Awards
Children’s TV show Sisimpur has been nominated for the prestigious Kidscreen awards under the category of Best mixed media series.
Learning through play, helping others and thus getting to know that we get happier for being able to help each other are emphasized in the episodes, which is important for children’s development. Attention is also given on empathy, science, environment, literacy, math etc. in each episode of season-13.
Read:'Rehana Maryam Noor' to be available on Chorki from December 30
Kidscreen awards rewards in different categories including best series, animated film and live action programs developed for kids and family audiences around the world. Winners’ names for the year 2022 will be announced in February through a grand event.
In expressing his excitement for being nominated for the prestigious Kidscreen awards the Executive Director of Sisimpur Mohammad Shah Alam said, this is undoubtedly a very delightful moment. Kidscreen awards is a very prestigious award for children's programmes worldwide.
Our Sisimpur has been nominated among the best three children friendly programmes across the globe. I believe this is a matter of great pride for us which will tremendously encourage our future works, he said.
Read:Bengal Foundation’s ‘Srijone O Shekore’: 5 days to celebrate 50 years
Sisimpur was earlier awarded as the best children’s programmes in a survey conducted by BBC World Service Trust in 2010 and was nominated as the third most popular program in overall categories. A longitudinal study conducted by ACPR found that the children who watch the Sisimpur programs regularly show more competencies in language-letters, math and socio-cultural fields in comparison to the one-year older children who don’t watch Sisimpur.
Ancient Temples of Bangladesh: Remembering Their Past Glory
The ancient temples resemble the unique history and tradition of Bangladesh. Some temples are renowned as sages, and monks meditated in those places, while some temples may resemble ancient traditions and ways of life. Old temples have become one of the major tourist attractions in the world due to their remarkable architectural style, traditional and historical significance. The temples of our country are no exception. Due to the diversity of architecture and uniqueness of history, the ancient temples of Bangladesh have become archaeological specimens. Both Hindu and Buddhists have their own temples. Let's take a look at some of the top ancient temples of Bangladesh.
A Short Guide to the Top Ancient Hindu Temples of Bangladesh
Bangladesh is the third-largest country in the world in terms of the population of Hindus or traditional religions. After India and Nepal, Bangladesh has the largest population of traditional religions. Although the Hindu population in Bangladesh has been declining day by day for different reasons there are still many ancient Hindu temples in our country.
Dhakeshwari Temple, Dhaka
Dhakeshwari Temple, located in Dhaka, is the national temple of Bangladesh as well as the oldest temple in Dhaka. Built-in the 12th century by Ballal Sen, a king of the Sena dynasty, Dhakeshwari was named the Goddess of Defense of Dhaka city. This bright yellow and red temple is located at the southwest corner of Dhaka University Salimullah Hall. There are four Shiva temples in the northwest corner of this temple. There is a metal statue of Goddess Durga. Although Dhakeshwari is 800 years old it is still in excellent condition.
Read Perks of being a Miss Universe: Rewards for the Excellence in ‘Beauty with Brain’
Kantajew Temple, Dinajpur
The temple of Kantajew is dedicated to Lord Krishna. The temple is named Kantjiu, Kanji, or Kantjir for the placement of Kaliakanta Jiu or Lord Krishna. Due to the temple, the area is known as Kantnagar. The temple of Kantnagar later became another name for him.
Perks of being a Miss Universe: Rewards for the Excellence in ‘Beauty with Brain’
The flame of Miss Universe 2021 is still burning, as its 70th edition has just made its way to the iridescent stage on December 13, 2021. Harnaaz Sandhu, an Indian girl, wore the most anticipated crown in the gala round. She won the next entire year’s sponsorship of Miss Universe Organization which comes with a lot of benefits. Let's get to know what perks of the new Miss Universe 2021 will get.
What are the perks of being a Miss Universe
The most expensive crown
This time the crown of Miss Universe is worth 5 million US dollars, which is more than BDT 429.2 million. This is so far the most expensive crown of Miss Universe events. Prior to Harnaaz, Jojibini Tunji from South Africa, Miss Universe 2019, and Andrea Meja of Mexico, Miss Universe 2020 wore this crown.
Read Miss Universe is India's Harnaaz Sandhu, 70th winner
With the slogan 'Power of Unity', Mouawad, a multinational ornaments manufacturing company made the crown for Miss Universe 2021 in 2019. The combination of 18-carat gold and 1725 white diamonds in the shape of petals, leaves, and vines reflects the bonding and leadership of women across seven continents. The three gold canary-colored diamonds in the center carry the symbol of the aspiring woman. The center stone alone weighs 62.83 carats.
Although the smallest in terms of size, 2021’s Miss Universe crown is the heaviest crown ever.
Prize Money
The Miss Universe 2021 money prize will be two and a half million US dollars, which is more than BDT 21.4 million.
Read Tangia Zaman Methila wins Miss Universe Bangladesh 2020
Accommodation facilities
Miss Universe can live in a luxurious apartment in New York City for an entire year. Miss USA also shares this apartment with her. During this tenure, the Miss Universe Organization would be responsible for the overall cost of living in New York.
Azizee Fawmi’s solo art exhibition ‘Ka-Shommondhiyo’ starts at La Galerie
A solo art exhibition of artist Azizee Fawmi Khan, titled ‘Ka-Shommondhiyo’, started at Alliance Française de Dhaka's La Galerie from Friday.
Jeremy Opritesco, Chargé d’Affaires of the European Union in Bangladesh, was present at the inauguration of the exhibition.
The exhibition will be open to all till December 31, from 3 pm to 9 pm.
About the context of the exhibition, Azizee Fawmi Khan said that her journey of the last five years has been portrayed in the paintings.
Her childhood and the life of her ancestors have greatly inspired her.
Srijone o Shekore: Showcasing the breadth of this land's culture
On the second day of Bengal Foundation's five-day cultural festival to celebrate the arts and culture of Bangladesh in this Golden Jubilee year, a discussion session titled 'Alape-Bistare' was held Wednesday afternoon.
The movie 'Bhoy' directed by Juairiza Mou was also shown today.
Shiuli Bhattacharya and her group played the violin in the cultural program which started at 6 pm.
Classical performances by Abhijit Kundu and Tinku Sheel were held at Bengal Parampara Sangeetalaya.
On the other hand, Rewaz Performers School performed dance with the direction of Munmun Ahmed.
Besides, Rabindra Sangeet was performed by Mainur Rahman Khan and Mostafizur Rahman. There were also modern Bengali songs by Fahmida Nabi, recitations by Bhaswar Bandyopadhyay, Bhajan Baul and folk songs by Krishna Baul.
From the first day of the festival, ‘Kamrul Karumela’, ‘Boi Porbo’ and an exhibition of artworks by young artists ‘Swarupe Arup’- have been organized here.
There is also a group art exhibition titled 'Swaparjito Prithibi - The Earth In Our Hands'.
Moreover, a short film exhibition titled 'Chalchitra' and a cultural event titled 'Ganer Jharnatalay' have been organized.
There are also painting, crafts and puppet shows for children.
The festival, titled "Srijone o Shekore," is being held at Bengal Shilpalaya, the foundation's own space in Dhanmandi.
Anne de Henning’s courageous photographs capture the ragged glory of 1971
Lauding French photographer Anne de Henning’s rare, historical and monumental photographs captured during the 1971 Liberation War and her unique, colourful and never seen before photographs of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, speakers on Friday said that the photographer is a true friend of Bangladesh and her courageous efforts behind capturing the history must be gloriously recognized.
The speakers shared these remarks at the inauguration ceremony of French photographer Anne de Henning’s unique solo photographic exhibition titled 'Witnessing History in the Making: Photographs by Anne de Henning', a focused presentation of rare, never before exhibited images, organized by the Samdani Art Foundation and Centre for Research and Information (CRI) at the National Art Gallery, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) in the capital.
Also read: Samdani Art Foundation, CRI to exhibit unseen photographs of 1971-72
Curated by Ruxmini Reckvana Q Choudhury, the exhibition is showcasing Henning's historical photographs which she captured between the 1971 Liberation War, witnessing the freedom of the then East Pakistan and the birth of Bangladesh - and during her second visit in 1972 where she photographed Bangabandhu giving a speech at the first Council Meeting of Awami League after the independence of Bangladesh.