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An exhibition jointly organised by Bangladeshi and Iranian photographers is being held at Zainul Gallery of the Institute of Fine Art of the Dhaka University from June 3. Iranian Cultural Counsellor, Dr MR Hashemi inaugurated the exhibition. It remains open from 3:00pm to 8:00pm till June 9.
   Forty six photographs by seven Bangladeshi and seven Iranian photographers are being displayed at the exhibition, the first of its kind. A joint initiative has been taken in arranging this exhibition with the purpose of building a bridge between the photographers of the two countries.
   Photographers of both the counties have displayed the bounty of natural beauty; besides landscapes, portraits of the people and their lifestyle have also been captured by their cameras.
   A photograph of a labourer at his backbreaking work, by Shazida Halim Poly and another of the environmental hazard in the ship breaking yards in Chittagong by Bulbul Ahmed bring a different feel to the exhibition.
   Poly’s snap of the Madhabkunda Waterfall is also very striking, both in colour and in composition.
   Amid the picturesque views of rural Iran and the colourful life of the Iranian villagers, a photograph by Ali Karimi Rastegar’s takes the visitors thousand of years back. The photograph presents the relics of Iran’s ancient civilisation.
   Bangladesh’s, Mahbubur Rahman Dipu very artistically presents the RAJUK Bhaban. The splendid lighting of the building makes the photograph a truly beautiful composition.
   ‘This is really a great opportunity for the viewers as well as Bangladeshi photographers to enjoy the works of their Iranian counterparts,’ said Bulbul Ahmed, president of the Bangladesh Photographic Society and one of the participants in the exhibition.
   According to him, the photographs by Iranians are technically very rich. ‘They use modern technology and can produce artistic and superior works,’ said Ahmed.
   About the Bangladeshi photographers he said, ‘We give importance to the subject rather than the technical aspects. We try to portray the real beauty of an object or a scene in our photographs.’
   Bangladeshi photographers taking part are Bulbul Ahmed, Shazida Halim Poly, KM Jahangir Alam, Mohammad Zubaer, Mahbubur Rahman Dipu, Mohammad Anwar Hossain and Dilip Kumar Das.
   Mahnaz Sahaf, Ebrahim Bahrami, Hashem Javadzadeh, Shahrokh Fathi, Ali Karimi Rastegar, Kazem Hosseini and Majid Bondar Moghaddam are participating from Iran.
   The organisers hope that this exhibition will usher the exchange of views among the photographers in Bangladesh and Iran. These photographs will also be displayed in Iran soon.

Eleven people from the field of Arts and Culture were awarded the Tonatuni Padak 2005 at Jatiya Natyashala on June 5. Mahbubur Rahman Joynal, managing director of the organisation handed over the crests to the winners.
   Kalim Sharafi received the Distinguished Personality award; Rathindranath Roy for music, Faridur Reza Sagar for children’s literature, Ahmed Imtiaz Bulbul for music direction, (for Tonatuni’s Toray Badha Ghorar Dim), Sujeya Shyam for Kabar and Dui Pakhi, Shakila Jaffar for music, Dipa Khandakar for dance direction of Kabar and Dui Pakhi, Tamanna Rahman for Chharar Deshey and Toray Badha Ghorar Dim, Hassan Hafiz for journalism, Kiriti Ranjan Biswas for art direction and Sanu Banerji of India for mediation between the two countries.
   After the prize giving ceremony, dance drama, Kabar, was staged at the Jatiya Natyashala on June 5. Besides, Rumana Islam Khan and Kiran Chandra Roy also performed on the occasion.

Monty Python’s Spamalot’ looked on the brighter side of theatrical life, winning the coveted best musical prize at Broadway’s annual awards extravaganza, the 2005 Tony awards.
   The zany stage version of the cult film ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail’ — adapted by original Python member Eric Idle — had a leading 14 nominations coming into the evening and also won Tonys for director Mike Nichols and best featured actress, Sara Ramirez.
   Sell-out performances of ‘Spamalot,’ starring Broadway favourite Tim Curry, were one of the factors behind a relatively successful 2004-05 New York theatre season, which saw a host of star names like Denzel Washington and Kathleen Turner treading the boards and box-office receipts of 768 million dollars.
   The best play Tony went to ‘Doubt,’ John Patrick Shanley’s searing, Pulitzer Prize-winning drama about a suspected paedophile in a Catholic school.
   The best actor in a play award went to Bill Irwin for his role in the revival of Edward Albee’s modern classic about a dysfunctional marriage, ‘Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf?’
   Victoria Clark, who won best actress in a musical for her role in ‘The Light in the Piazza,’ a romance set in Italy in the 1950s, had a grateful message for the show’s producers. ‘Piazza’ ended the night with six Tonys, including best score. Best actor in a musical for his role as a con artist in ‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’ was Norbert Leo Butz, who started out thanking God for his award.
   The best special theatrical event award went, as widely expected, to comedian Billy Crystal for his autobiographical show ‘700 Sundays.’
   ‘La Cage Aux Folles’ was voted best revival of a musical and also won a best choreography award for Jerry Mitchell.

9:00pm —10:00pm, Animal Planet
   The Protectors is a series following the law enforcement officers of the NYC chapter of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). From their precinct headquarters, the agents of the ASPCA answer the call to protect the welfare of the over five million pets living in New York City. Animals thought to be in danger are rescued and taken to the ASPCA where they are cared for by experts and given hope for a better life. This summer Animal Planet takes you through an astonishing episode of 'The Protectors' where Special Investigator Diane DiGiacomo and Special Agent John De La Tone step in to save a young puppy that has been beaten up by its owner. On the other hand special Investigator Annemarie Lucas and undercover agent H are also involved in case with Special Agent Tina Salaks when she discovers a dead goat and dead birds as well as a live goat and chickens at a house in Brooklyn.

UNESCO, Dhaka will launch two books, Kantajee Temple—An Outstanding Monument of Late Medieval Bengal and Selected Hindu Temples of Bangladesh at 5:00pm at Begum Sufia Kamal auditorium of the Bangladesh National Museum on June 8.
   State minister for cultural affairs Begum Selima Rahman will be present as the chief guest while Professor Shafiqul Alam, director (in-charge) of the Department of Archaeology and UNESCO Representative in Bangladesh, Wolfgang Vollmann will be present as special guests.

Popular mega series ‘Sparsher Baire’ will complete its journey with its 110th episode tonight at 8:20pm on NTV.
   Written by Pantha Shahriar and directed by Shahiduzzaman Selim the series was acclaimed by the viewers because of its wonderful script, commendable performance by the cast, and the title song ‘Jibonta jodi hoi ekta nodi’.
   The song, composed by Arnob and sung by Sahana, has left the audience spellbound.
   The cast of the series included Humayun Faridi, Subrana Mustafa, Zahid Hasan, Raisul Islam Asad, Afroza Banu, Azad Abul Kalam, Srabonti, Aupee Karim, Sanjida Priti, Zahiruddin Piar, Kamal Bayazid, Shubhashish Bhoumik, Masud Ali Khan, Intekhab Dinar, Mir Sabbir, Ferdous Hasan Nevil, Dilara Zaman, Abdullah al Mamun, Joysree kor Jaya, Hillol, Bijori Barkatullah, Rosy Siddiqui and others.
   Shukanna stands beside Tanmoy even though all the family members were against it. She leaves the family behind along with her troubled past. She starts a new life with Tanmoy in an attic.
   Though they have been living a peaceful life, sudden incidents turn her life upside down again. The last episode ends on that note.

Every long-term relationship faces challenges, but is love based on the person you see on the outside., or the one who exists on the inside? Jessica Lange and Tom Wilkinson star in this powerful. offbeat film about a Midwestern couple whose love defies conventions. After 25 years of marriage, tractor driver Roy Applewood (Wilkinson) tells his wife Irma (Academy Award® and Golden Globe® winner Lange, Don't Come Knock/n', Big Fish) that he's a woman trapped in a man's body and wants a sex change. A story of-love and acceptance, this portrait of a marriage explores the heart and soul of two people who have made a lifetime promise to each other, but who must redefine their relationship. In the process, they find some unexpected answers.
   Normal
   HBO
   9:30 pm
   Starring
   Jessica Lange, Tom Wilkinson, Clancy Brown