Arts-&-Culture
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.
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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.
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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.
French photographer Anne de Henning's exhibition on Bangladesh to inaugurate on Friday
Marking the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh’s Independence, Samdani Art Foundation and Centre for Research and Information (CRI) are set to launch an exclusive solo exhibition on Friday at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA), titled 'Witnessing History in the Making: Photographs by Anne de Henning'; a focused presentation of rare, never before exhibited images by French photographer Anne de Henning.
Curated by Ruxmini Reckvana Q Choudhury, the exhibition will showcase Henning's historical photographs which she captured between 1971 and 1972, witnessing the birth of the nation. Her remarkable private archive of unseen photographs is a unique record of the pivotal years that saw East Pakistan transformed into Bangladesh.
KM Khalid, state minister for the ministry of cultural affairs, will inaugurate the exhibition at 5 pm on Friday at BSA's Gallery 4 of the National Art Gallery.
Nasrul Hamid, state minister for the ministry of power, energy and mineral resources and also Trustee, CRI; and Liaquat Ali Lucky, Director General, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy will also join the ceremony as its special guests.
Read: Second photo exhibition on life, legacy of Bangabandhu begins in Seoul
Anne de Henning began her career as a photojournalist and at the age of 23 she left her life in Paris to cover the Vietnam War and later Bangladesh Liberation War. Her photographs from 1971 and 1972 taken in Bangladesh remained unpublished and will be shown for the first time after 50 years.
Traveling through the country during the Liberation War, her photographs captured life in the war zone – from freedom fighters to men, women and children boarding refugee trains and fleeing from their villages. In her powerful images the humanity of her subjects is combined with the grit of traditional photojournalism. Taken on her second visit to the country, Anne’s photographs from 1972 featured the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Read: International photo exhibition ‘Break the Circle: Season 9’ at BSA
In addition to images of Anne’s travels throughout Bangladesh, the exhibition brings together other works from her archive including photographs from her in time India, Thailand, Nepal and her coverage of the Vietnam War, according to the organizers.
The exhibition will be open for all from December 10 to 31, 2021.
Curtain rises on Bangladesh Couture Week 2021 by FDCB
Fashion Design Council of Bangladesh (FDCB) is holding the first edition of the Bangladesh Couture Week 2021, which was inaugurated Thursday at the Edge Gallery in Gulshan.
Entirely dedicated to the revered Bangladeshi silk industry, this exclusive fashion festival is paying homage to the hardworking artisans of the country and their craftsmanship, the organizers said at the inauguration ceremony.
The grand inaugural ceremony of FDCB’s maiden Couture Week was joined by Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni as the chief guest, who lauded this exclusive event for preserving and presenting the tradition of Bangladesh.
“Our country is known to the entire world for its amazing and high-quality handloom fabrics such as our Muslin and Jamdani, and our Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina herself is the greatest brand ambassador of our beautiful, traditional clothes. The government is playing its part to preserve all of our traditional crafts, and I really appreciate FDCB’s praiseworthy attempt on that approach as an inclusive and inspiring entity,” Dr Moni said.
Talking to UNB regarding this exclusive venture, renowned fashion designer and FDCB Founder President Maheen Khan emphasized the importance of upholding the pride of Bangladeshi clothes through events like this.
“We have previously organized fashion shows on various items of hand-spun clothes including Khadi, Jamdani and more. This is the first time we are arranging Couture Week, which represents an excellent variant of custom-made, hand-spun silk made by highly skilled weavers from our Chapainawabganj.”
Hosted by FDCB Vice President Emdad Hoque, the inaugural ceremony was also joined by the Ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh ITO Naoki as the special guest of the ceremony, among many other eminent dignitaries including actress Shampa Reza and more.
As a tribute to the silk industry, an exclusive book was launched at the event and a documentary based on the state of silk production in the country and the current livelihoods of the weavers was also screened, followed by an exclusive flash fashion show.
Bangladesh Couture Week is essentially promoting high-end fashion wear, showcasing 17 top designers of the country. The famed designers taking part in the event are Chandana Dewan, Sarah Karim, Faiza Ahmed, Maheen Khan, Farah Anjum Bari, Shaibal Saha, Farzana Nova, Tasfia Ahmed, Sadia Rashid Chowdhury, Rifat Rahman, Rupo Shams, Rima Naaz, Afsana Ferdousi, Sharukh Amin, Lipi Khandker, Nawshin Khair and Emdad Hoque.
On Dec 3 and 4, there will be panel discussions on relevant subject matters followed by a flash fashion show each day. A special Fashion Award Ceremony on Dec 4 will be held, marking the conclusion of the event.
FDCB, a nonprofit organization hopes to steer the Bangladeshi silk community and its patrons through this 3-day long fashion exhibition and event, further hoping to promote artisanal work and advocate home-grown textiles and designs to the mass audience with their efforts and endeavours.
Bangladesh Couture Week 2021 kicks off paying tribute to artisans, craftsmanship
Fashion Design Council of Bangladesh (FDCB) is hosting the very first edition of "Bangladesh Couture Week 2021" at Edge Gallery of Gulshan from 2-4 December.
This year's Couture Week is offering a peek into the lives of skilled artisans of Bangladesh, who have been trying to keep up with multiple obstacles – from poverty and mass migrations to displacement due to natural calamities, and soaring costs of raw materials and much more.
The lure of lucrative jobs in the cities and better education is driving the younger generations away from their former livelihoods. Craftsmen now feel discontent and disconnected from their traditional crafts.