United News of Bangladesh

Radwan Mujib Siddiq, grandson of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and trustee of Centre for Research and Information (CRI), made a visit to ‘Witnessing History in the Making: Photographs by Anne de Henning’ at Guimet Museum of Asian Art in Paris. The exhibition has been produced by Samdani Art Foundation and Centre for Research and Information. The exhibition is being held from October 19, 2022 to January 23, 2023 in partnership with Asia Now Paris Art Fair and Guimet Museum of Asian Art, according to a press release. The first iteration of the exhibition was held in Dhaka from December 10, 2021 to March 31, 2022 to celebrate 50 years of Bangladesh’s independence. The exhibition presents rare, never before seen images by French photographer Anne de Henning, curated by Ruxmini Reckvana Q Choudhury.  Between 1971 and 1972 the photojournalist captured the birth of Bangladesh. Anne’s photographs from 1972 feature Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. She captured Bangabandhu giving a speech at the first Council Meeting of Awami League after the independence of Bangladesh. “I came specifically from Calcutta to photograph the event,” she said. Although at the time Anne favoured shooting in black and white, she chose to capture this event in colour because of the vibrant blue, white and red stripes of the shamiyana — ceremonial tent —that housed the event.  Radwan Mujib also attended the exhibition when it was held at National Art Gallery, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. Radwan graduated in politics and history from the London School of Economics. He did his masters in comparative politics there. He now looks after the CRI and is working to empower and inspire the youth through its Young Bangla platform. Radwan is the publisher and architect behind ‘Mujib’, an autobiographical graphic novel on the Father of the Nation for the young readers. He also played a key role in the making of “Hasina: A Daughter’s Tale”, a docudrama on his aunt Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and mother Sheikh Rehana. Both the graphic novel and the docudrama were critically acclaimed in Bangladesh and abroad.

The exhibition ‘Witnessing History in the Making: Photographs by Anne de Henning’ — produced by Samdani Art Foundation and Centre for Research and Information — is travelling to Guimet Museum of Asian Art in Paris.  The exhibition will be held from October 19, 2022 to January 23, 2023 in partnership with Asia Now Paris Art Fair and Guimet Museum of Asian Art, according to a press release. The first iteration of the exhibition was held in Dhaka from December 10, 2021 to March 31, 2022 to celebrate 50 years of Bangladesh’s independence. The exhibition will present rare, never before seen images by French photographer Anne de Henning, curated by Ruxmini Reckvana Q Choudhury.  Between 1971 and 1972 the photojournalist captured the birth of the nation and her remarkable private archive of unseen photographs is a unique record of the pivotal years which saw East Pakistan transform into Bangladesh.  A Bangladeshi flag gifted by freedom fighters to Anne de Henning in 1971 will also be displayed at the exhibition. The earliest set of photographs from 1971 cover Anne’s first visit to the country at the age of 25. At that time, in the early days of conflict in April, the Pakistani authorities in Dhaka were not letting foreign journalists into the country.  This was obviously to keep them from reporting on the atrocities they were perpetrating on the civilian population after having launched Operation Searchlight on March 26, 1971.  Travelling 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 feature Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who, all his life, worked to decolonise the nation away from the rules of British and Pakistan towards democracy and freedom. Anne captured Bangabandhu giving a speech at the first Council Meeting of Awami League after the independence of Bangladesh. ‘I came specifically from Calcutta to photograph the event,’ she said. Although at the time Anne favoured shooting in black and white, she chose to capture this event in colour because of the vibrant blue, white and red stripes of the shamiyana — ceremonial tent —that housed the event.  Images of Bangabandhu were systematically destroyed after the coup of 1975 and her surviving colour photographs are among the few ones known to still exist. In addition to images of Anne’s travels throughout Bangladesh, the exhibition brings together other works from her archive including photographs taken in India and her coverage of the Vietnam War.

A bulldozer, which has come to represent repression of India’s Muslim minority, rolled down the street in Edison, New Jersey, during a procession celebrating the country’s Independence Day. People celebrating the occasion and those who went up to denounce violence against Muslims in India got into a yelling match at an event in Anaheim, California. Indian Americans from diverse religious backgrounds have lived in harmony in the United States for many years. But these recent developments in the United States, along with violent clashes between some Hindus and Muslims in Leicester, England, last month, have raised worries that India’s extreme political and religious divisiveness is seeping into its expatriate groups. In India, Hindu nationalism has surged under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party, which rose to power in 2014 and won a landslide election in 2019. The ruling party has faced fierce criticism over rising attacks against Muslims in recent years, from the Muslim community and other religious minorities as well as some Hindus who say Modi’s silence emboldens right-wing groups and threatens national unity. Hindu nationalism has split the Indian expatriate community just as Donald Trump’s presidency polarized the U.S., said Varun Soni, dean of religious life at the University of Southern California. It has about 2,000 students from India, among the highest in the country. Soni has not seen these tensions surface yet on campus. But he said USC received blowback for being one of more than 50 U.S. universities that co-sponsored an online conference called “Dismantling Global Hindutva.” The 2021 event aimed to spread awareness of Hindutva, Sanskrit for the essence of being Hindu, a political ideology that claims India as a predominantly Hindu nation plus some minority faiths with roots in the country such as Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism. Critics say that excludes other minority religious groups such as Muslims and Christians. Hindutva is different from Hinduism, an ancient religion practiced by about 1 billion people worldwide that emphasizes the oneness and divine nature of all creation. Read: E-passport services launched for Bangladeshi diaspora in USA Soni said it’s important that universities remain places where “we are able to talk about issues that are grounded in facts in a civil manner,” But, as USC’s head chaplain, Soni worries how polarization over Hindu nationalism will affect students’ spiritual health. “If someone is being attacked for their identity, ridiculed or scapegoated because they are Hindu or Muslim, I’m most concerned about their well-being — not about who is right or wrong,” he said. Anantanand Rambachan, a retired college religion professor and a practicing Hindu who was born in Trinidad and Tobago to a family of Indian origin, said his opposition to Hindu nationalism and association with groups against the ideology sparked complaints from some at a Minnesota temple where he has taught religion classes. He said opposing Hindu nationalism sometimes results in charges of being “anti-Hindu,” or “anti-India,” labels that he rejects. On the other hand, many Hindu Americans feel vilified and targeted for their views, said Samir Kalra, managing director of the Hindu American Foundation in Washington, D.C. “The space to freely express themselves is shrinking for Hindus,” he said, adding that even agreeing with the Indian government’s policies unrelated to religion can result in being branded a Hindu nationalist. Pushpita Prasad, a spokesperson for the Coalition of Hindus of North America, said her group has been counseling young Hindu Americans who have lost friends because they refuse “to take sides on these battles emanating from India.” “If they don’t take sides or don’t have an opinion, it’s automatically assumed that they are Hindu nationalist,” she said. “Their country of origin and their religion is held against them.” Both organizations opposed the Dismantling Global Hindutva conference criticizing it as “Hinduphobic” and failing to present diverse perspectives. Conference supporters say they reject equating calling out Hindutva with being anti-Hindu. Some Hindu Americans like 25-year-old Sravya Tadepalli, believe it’s their duty to speak up. Tadepalli, a Massachusetts resident who is a board member of Hindus for Human Rights, said her activism against Hindu nationalism is informed by her faith. “If that is the fundamental principle of Hinduism, that God is in everyone, that everyone is divine, then I think we have a moral obligation as Hindus to speak out for the equality of all human beings,” she said. “If any human is being treated less than or as having their rights infringed upon, then it is our duty to work to correct that.” Tadepalli said her organization also works to correct misinformation on social media that travels across continents fueling hate and polarization. Tensions in India hit a high in June after police in the city of Udaipur arrested two Muslim men accused of slitting a Hindu tailor’s throat and posting a video of it on social media. The slain man, 48-year-old Kanhaiya Lal, had reportedly shared an online post supporting a governing party official who was suspended for making offensive remarks against the Prophet Muhammad. Hindu nationalist groups have attacked minority groups, particularly Muslims, over issues related to everything from food or wearing head scarves to interfaith marriage. Muslims’ homes have also been demolished using heavy machinery in some states, in what critics call a growing pattern of “bulldozer justice.” Such reports have Muslim Americans afraid for the safety of family members in India. Shakeel Syed, executive director of the South Asian Network, a social justice organization based in Artesia, California, said he regularly hears from his sisters and senses a “pervasive fear, not knowing what tomorrow is going to be like.” Syed grew up in the Indian city of Hyderabad in the 1960s and 1970s in “a more pluralistic, inclusive culture.” “My Hindu friends would come to our Eid celebrations and we would go to their Diwali celebrations,” he said. “When my family went on summer vacation, we would leave our house keys with our Hindu neighbor, and they would do the same when they had to leave town.” Read: On the ground and afar, diaspora boosts India’s virus fight Syed believes violence against Muslims has now been mainstreamed in India. He has heard from girls in his family who are considering taking off their hijabs or headscarves out of fear. In the U.S., he sees his Hindu friends reluctant to engage publicly in a dialogue because they fear retaliation. “A conversation is still happening, but it’s happening in pockets behind closed doors with people who are like-minded,” he said. “It’s certainly not happening between people who have opposing views.” Rajiv Varma, a Houston-based Hindu activist, holds a diametrically opposite view. Tensions between Hindus and Muslims in the West, he said, are not a reflection of events in India but rather stem from a deliberate attempt by “religious and ideological groups that are waging a war against Hindus.” Varma believes India is “a Hindu country” and the term “Hindu nationalism” merely refers to love for one’s country and religion. He views India as a country ravaged by conquerors and colonists, and Hindus as a religious group that does not seek to convert or colonize. “We have a right to recover our civilization,” he said. Rasheed Ahmed, co-founder and executive director of the Washington D.C.-based Indian American Muslim Council, said he is saddened “to see even educated Hindu Americans not taking Hindu nationalism seriously.” He believes Hindu Americans must make “a fundamental decision about how India and Hinduism should be seen in the U.S. and the world over.” “The decision about whether to take Hinduism back from whoever hijacked it, is theirs.” Zafar Siddiqui, a Minnesota resident, is hoping to “reverse some of this mistrust, polarization” and build understanding through education, personal connections and interfaith assemblies. Siddiqui, a Muslim, has helped bring together a group of Minnesotans of Indian origin — including Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and atheists — who meet for monthly potlucks. “When people sit down, say, over lunch or dinner or over coffee, and have a direct dialogue, instead of listening to all these leaders and spreading all this hate, it changes a lot of things,” Siddiqui said. But during one recent gathering, some argued over a draft proposal to at some point seek dialogue with people who hold different views. Those who disagreed explained that they didn’t support reaching out to Hindu nationalists and feared harassment. Siddiqui said that for now, future plans include focusing on education and interfaith events spotlighting India’s different traditions and religions. “Just to keep silent is not an option,” Siddiqui said. “We needed a platform to bring people together who believe in peaceful co-existence of all communities.”

After 13 years, Dhaka audiences got another chance to listen to the widely popular West Bengal singer-lyricist-composer Kabir Suman’s timeless songs on Saturday evening. The concert celebrated 30 years of Suman’s ground-breaking album “Tomake Chai”. Though the concert was scheduled to begin at 4:30 pm, audiences had to wait in long queue past the time to enter the venue at Dhaka’s Institute of Engineers Bangladesh (IEB). One of the waiting fans told UNB, “I was expecting a better arrangement for a legendary musician like Kabir Suman in Dhaka.” After the long wait, all was forgiven when a humble Kabir Suman took the stage – in an auditorium filled to the brim.

Iconic West Bengal musician Kabir Suman is all set to perform live in Bangladesh after a long hiatus, marking 30 years of his album “Tomake Chai” that has attained the status of a classic. Suman, also an immensely popular composer and lyricist, will sing for his fans in Dhaka on three days — on October 15, 18 and 21 — at the main auditorium of National Museum in Dhaka.The revered artist will perform contemporary Bangla songs on October 15, modern Bangla Kheyal songs on October 18, and again contemporary Bangla songs on October 21 respectively.The three-day event is being organised by the event management company Peephole, which disclosed the details at a press conference at the Bishwa Shahitto Kendro in the capital on Wednesday. Peephole executives Fuad Bin Omar and Mir Arif Billah, among others, were present at the press conference.Briefing media, they informed that the programme is being organised to celebrate 30 years anniversary of Suman's debut album“Tomake Chai”. The massively popular album was released In April 1992.

The three-day 40th Jatiya Rabindra Sangeet Sammelan is all set to welcome music enthusiasts from all over the country Friday at the National Theatre Hall of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) in Dhaka. This year's convention, organised by the Jatiya Rabindra Sangeet Sammelan Parishad (JRSP), will feature discussions, recitations, and competitions on Tagore songs. Around 700 artists, organisers and cultural activists will be join the 40th edition of the convention, JRSP Central General Secretary Bulbul Islam told the media Wednesday. "The 40th Jatiyo Rabindra Sangeet Sammelan is going to be held at the National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on Ashwin 29-31, 1429 and October 14-16. Eminent educationist and academic scholar Professor Syed Akram Hossain will inaugurate the conference. Renowned academician Professor Syed Manjurul Islam will join the event as the chief guest," Bulbul said. He added that this year, JRSP will honour two of its late members and pioneering Rabindra Sangeet artists, academicians and organisers  – Nilotpal Sadhya and Mita Haque. The three-day convention will officially be inaugurated on October 14 at 9:30am through Bodhan Sangeet. The final phase of the National Rabindra Sangeet competition in youth category will be held on the same day at 2:30 pm, and general category on October 15 at 9:30am. The evening session of all three days will have events such as Subachan Rabirashmi, Geeti Alekhya, recitation, reading, dance and song by revered Tagore exponents. Read: Tagore, Dostoyevsky, Pushkin revisited at DU, ULAB A special seminar will take place on the second day at 4pm on "the role of culture in creating a harmonious society." Mofidul Haque, Liberation War Museum trustee and keynote speaker of the event, will deliver the lecture at the seminar which will be presided over by Dr Sarwar Ali. Freedom fighter and cultural personality Nasiruddin Yousuff Bachchu and Professor Sadhan Ghosh will speak at the event. The journey of JRSP, formerly Zahidur Rahim Smriti Parishad, started on the death anniversary of artist Zahidur Rahim in 1979. The organisation later changed its name in honour of Rabindranath Tagore. JRSP has been organising this annual convention since 1981 to promote Tagore songs among the youth. This year's convention is open to all music enthusiasts and will conclude on October 16 at BSA's National Theatre Hall.

Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Bangladesh, the Embassy of Japan will organise a concert by “AUN J Classic Orchestra” in Dhaka on October 15 to promote friendship between the two countries. Japanese traditional musical instruments such as Wa-daiko, Shaminisen, Koto, Shakuhachi, and Shinobue, are all the instruments of the AUN J Classic Orchestra, which are usually not played in an ensemble. The troupe was formed in 2008 by seven renowned artists who specialized in each instrument in pursuit of unique musical experiences. Their technical quality and performance level have been highly acclaimed around the world, said the Japanese Embassy in Dhaka in a media release on Tuesday.

The Russian House in Dhaka has organised two literary lectures at the University of Dhaka (DU) and the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB).   During the first session at ULAB on "Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Rabindranath Tagore: Litterateurs, illustrators and artists," Indian Professor Debal Dasgupta, a prominent promoter of Russian language and culture, displayed an array of illustrations, sketches and doodles by the two authors and talked in depth about the artistic abilities of the two great masters of literature, their critical look at the harmony between their illustrations and the literary characters. The second programme "Alexander Pushkin and Rabindranath Tagore: The creators of the new hero in world literature" was held at DU.

Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Hindu community, is set to begin on Saturday with the incarnation (Bodhon) of goddess Durga at temples across the country, marking Sashthi. The five-day puja will come to an end with the immersion of idols of goddess Durga in rivers and other water bodies on October 5. All the preparations have been taken for celebrating the religious festival smoothly with tight security at every puja mandap in the country. Read: Keep vigil against vandalism during Durga Puja: Obaidul Quader asks AL members The Maha Saptami puja will be held on Sunday while Maha Ashtami, Kumari Puja and Sandhi Puja on Monday, Maha Nabami puja on Tuesday and Bijoya Dashami will be held on Wednesday.  Recitation of the verses from the Holy Chandi and blowing of conch shells (Shankha) and beating of drums will be heard in temples and pandals in the city and elsewhere throughout the day. The Mahalaya, the auspicious occasion heralding the advent of goddess Durga, was celebrated on September 25 last. In Dhaka city, the main puja mandaps have been set up at Dhakeshwari National Temple, Ramkrishna Mission and Math, Kalabagan, Banani, Shakhari Bazar and Ramna Kali Mandir. Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam on Thursday said police are ready to thwart any possible militant attack during the Durga Puja celebration. Besides, the Puja Mandaps, where there are no CCTV cameras, will be kept under surveillance by police and Ansar members for 24 hours. President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have issued separate messages greeting the members of the country's Hindu community on this occasion. In his message, President Hamid said the main religious festival of the Bengali Hindu community is Durga Puja. The country’s Hindu community has been celebrating the puja amid huge enthusiasm and festivity with different rituals since ancient times. Durga Puja is not only a religious festival, but also a social one, he added. “Communal harmony is the eternal tradition of Bengalis. This tradition must be carried forward in our overall progress together,” he urged all. Read: Benazir directs police to ensure impenetrable security during Durga Puja In her message, PM Hasina said Durga Puja is not only a festival of the Hindu community, it is now a universal festival. Destruction of evil forces and worship of truth and beauty are the main motives of Sharadiya Durgotsob. “On the occasion of Durga Puja, I wish peace, welfare and prosperity to all citizens including the Hindus,” she said. Durga Puja will be held at 32,168 mandaps (pandals) across the country, including 241 in the capital city, this year.

Several cultural bodies organised different programmes Wednesday to celebrate the 76th birthday of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, putting the spotlight on her life and works.   The Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) and the Bangla Academy celebrated the occasion with different events, including cultural programmes, art camps, exhibitions and discussions. The BSA unveiled a portrait of Sheikh Hasina titled "Shobujer Buke Manobotar Janani" at its premises. Liaquat Ali Lucky, BSA director general, unveiled the 100 feet by 76 feet portrait with other BSA officials at 3pm. An exclusive art camp, featuring 80 child artists, was then inaugurated. It continued till 5pm. At 6pm, the BSA organised a discussion at its National Theatre Hall auditorium, with Lucky in the chair. Bangla Academy President and eminent novelist Selina Hossain joined the seminar as the chief guest and spoke about the life and philosophies of Sheikh Hasina. A special cultural programme, featuring BSA's baul and Bhawaiya groups, dance troops, and other musical units, then enthralled the audience.