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Mohammad Fokhrul Islam in the preface of the brochure of his current exhibition going on at the Alliance Francaise has said without any preambles that when he paints he does not want to prove his skills; he paints because inside him something more powerful than a superficial desire to show off inspires him. And, with that motivation the artist has dived straight into his domain of abstract works where meaning is not restricted by any specific format or structure. Therein lies the fun of abstract because it allows the viewer to indulge and indulge one must when he/she stands in front of Fokhrul’s works.
   Titled Image, the exhibition showcases pieces which can even be interpreted as photographs of distant planets. In fact, some of Fokhrul’s pieces appear to be depictions of the surface of Mars. But perhaps, many would not want to stretch their imagination so far. For the ones who want art to be within an artistic domain, these works are simply projections of nature; there is the jubilant and effervescent sun, the dark and melancholy night, the terrifying black intensity of a storm and the fresh grey opening to a brand new day. Fokhrul has painted according to his whims and in that vigorous spontaneity we get emotions varying from ecstasy to melancholia.
   ‘But the therapeutic effect of the works cannot be overlooked because the rather subdued colours have a soothing impact on the angst ridden soul,’ commented Insaan, a photographer.
   Time and again in the modesty of the works Fokhrul’s self-effacing nature comes out and the man is exactly what he says, ‘I am not the mother or father of art. I don’t give birth. Love cannot be measured by any yardstick and my works fall in the same category. If these works can provide you with a little satisfaction then my labour will have been successful.’
   But, the only complain is that these works of art will only be appreciated by those who know a little about abstract paintings; for the new generation, driven by impatience, Fokhrul’s pieces may not open up at all. But then, perhaps Fokhrul does not want to pull restless souls. ‘Not bad but sometimes, so much abstraction can arrest the mind within a whirlpool of uncertainty; we do not know what is shown and therefore, have to rely on our own interpretations; maybe in the future Fokhrul will give us semi abstracts,’ observed a viewer. The exhibition will run till March 15.

Bangladesh Federation of Film Societies (BFFS) honoured three personalities with the Life Time Achievement Award 2006 for their superb contributions towards upholding and popularising Bangladesh’s cinema.
   The recipients are singer Syed Abdul Hadi, filmstar Abdur Razzak and musician Anwar Parvez.
   BFFS organised a prize giving ceremony at the Sufia Kamal auditorium at the National Museum on Sunday. Sadek Hossain Khoka, Mayor of the Dhaka City Corporation, was present as chief guest while Azad Rahman and Golam Rabbani Biplab were present as guests. The event was chaired by Enam Ahmed Chowdhury, chairman of the Privatisation Commission.
   The Mayor thanked the organisers on having arranged such a festival and enjoined upon them to organise such events more often. Later, he handed over the awards to the recipients.
   Besides this award, Syed Abdul Hadi has received a number of prestigious awards, including National Film Award and Producers’ Samity Award. He received the Ekushe Padak in 2000.
   Abdur Razzak, a veteran actor of the country who stepped into the field of cinema through Ratan Lal Bangali, has performed in a number of hit films. He has received a number of prestigious awards, including the National Film Award for the fifth time.
   Anwar Parvez, a veteran music director, has created remarkable music in films. For his timeless creation he received the Bangladesh Film Journalists Award in 1972.

Cultural organisation Orchestra arranged its 10th musical soiree titled Samay gele sadhan hobe na by celebrated Lalongiti singer Farida Parveen on March 3 at All Community Club Hall in the city.
   Prior to this programme other noted singers, including, Fatema-tuz-Zohra, Subir Nandi, Tapan Chowdhury, Kiranchandra Roy, Kanakchanpa, Saheen Samad and Agun has sung in events organised by Orchestra.
   The programme opened with young singer Deenat Jahan singing Lalon’s songs after which Farida Parveen performed. Before that she spoke about the negative impact the satellite channels are having in the Bengali culture and our lives. She hoped that the distortion of traditional music should not be allowed to go on and must be protected at any cost.
   To commemorate the month of March, Farida started her performance with the patriotic song Ei Padma, ei Meghna. She also sang, Tomari holam, Tomra bhulei gechho Mallikadir nam, Pakhi kokhon jani ure jay and others.
   She was accompanied by Gazi Abdul Hakim on banshi, SM reza on dholok, Sheikh Jalaluddin on dotara, Bishwajit Sarkar on tabla and Shawkat Hossain on the keyboard.

The following films will be screened at the Shaukat Osman auditorium and Ziaur Rahman auditorium today on the occasion of the 3rd International Film Festival.
   The Night of Truth : Fanta Regina Nacro's outstanding, insightful first feature is set in an imaginary African country. A brutal ethnic war is ending after ten long years, with the signing of a peace treaty by the president and Colonel Theo, leader of the rebel forces. When it seems that the Nayak and Bonande peoples are about to end the bloody strife, Theo organises a feast of reconciliation, at which the president and his wife will be guests, to signal their will to end the conflict.
   Samaria : Jae-Young is a young prostitute who sleeps with men while her best friend Yeo-Jin manages her, fixing dates, taking care of the money and making sure the coast is clear. When Jae-Young falls in love with one of those men but she suppresses her feelings because she senses her friend Yeo is jealous.
   Matritya : Matritya based on the late 1960s, portrays the strong desire of a young woman who wants to become a mother in a rural setting. The plot of the film opens with a scene where the protagonist Sakhina is seen stitching a kantha. Her husband Jabbar, a thief by profession, does not stay home and Sakhina wants Jabbar to give up his profession to pursue a career working as a day labourer or a farmer. But her dream never comes true; rather, she makes a livelihood by working as a domestic help at the house of the village headman.