Main Page «
Front Page «
Metro «
Business «
International «
Sports «
National «
Editorial «
Op-Ed «
Home «
Letters «

Archive «
Launch Supplement «
Special Supplements «

A total of sixteen bauls have been selected to compete in the final round of the ‘Talent hunt top ten Baul’.
   Palli Baul Samaj Unnayan Sangstha in collaboration with the German Embassy in Dhaka organised the competition. The event began with praying for ailing singer Sabina Yasmin.
   The fifth round of the competition was held at the Shaukat Osman Auditorium of the Central Public Library in Dhaka on Tuesday.
   A total of twenty two bauls participated in the fifth round. Of them, sixteen, namely M Alamin, SN Beauty Akter, AR Jasim Khan, M Sadek Ali, M Nure Alam Sarkar, Nila Akter, Ms Nayan Moni, M Bijoy Dewan, M Kanon Dewan, Syed Ashikur Rahman, Ashik Dewan, Argha Odhikary Bandhon, Roksana Akter Lipi, Maniruzzaman Dhiru, Surma Hayat and Banya Ghosh have been selected to compete in the final round of the
   competition.
   The contestants sang songs of Lalon Shah, Panju Shah, Pagla Kanai, Duddu Shah, Hasson Raja, Shitalong Shah, Radhabollov, Bhobapagla, Kngal Horinath, Behal Shah, Monmohan Dutta, Kabial Bijoy Sarkar, Jalal Uddin Kha, Arkum Shah, Durbin Shah, Radharomon, Kalashah and Kalushah Fakir.
   The jury comprising Kangalini Sufia, Kuti Mannsur, Nazir Mahmud, Ahmed Rizvi, Akmal Shah, Aleya Begum, Abul Sarkar, Akmal Sha Doyal and Sajidur Rahman Munim judged the participants. Besides, the audience also voted to select the top 16 baul talents.
   ‘The final round of the competition will be held on July 18,’ said MH Nayan, general secretary of the Palli Baul Samaj Unnayan Sangstha.
   The organiser will release two music albums by the top ten baul singers and also organise baul festival in the divisional headquarters.

The seventeenth birth anniversary of the eminent cinematographer and filmmaker M Abdus Samad was observed on Sunday.
   Museum of the memoirs of eminent Bengalis, Bangali Samagra, organised a discussion, followed by the film screening at the Projection Hall of the Bangladesh Film Archives in Dhaka.
   Veteran film director Baby Islam uncovered a commemorative book on Samad titled ‘Praner Manush Achhe Prane’. Among others, noted filmmakers Soovas Dutta, and Chasgi Nazrul Islam and musicologist Mubarak Hossain Khan spoke at the function. Eminent dramatist Atiqul Haque Chowdhury chaired the event.
   Recalling the contribution of MA Samad, the speakers said that the cinematographer had worked for the development of the country in the arena of films. They added that the nation should pay tribute to the persons like M Abdus Samad, who had enriched the country’s cultural heritage through their works.
   The discussion was followed by the screening of the film Abirbhab, directed by Soovas Dutta and cinematographed by MA Samad.

Up to 80,000 Asia enthusiasts attended the annual Japan Expo near Paris showcasing the latest in Asian pop culture from mangas to fashion to videos and Japanese rock, the organisers said Monday.
   The annual festival, which drew only 3,000 visitors when it launched in 1999, was a runaway success, according to Pierre-Yves Devroute, one of the organisers.
   ‘It was a phenomenal success which surpassed all our aims,’ he said, adding that between 75,000 and 80,000 people visited the three-day show which opened Friday.
   He said a third of the visitors were under 25 years old.
   Mangas, Japanese highly stylized graphic novels that were the festival’s main draw, account for more than a third of all comics sold in France today, up from only 19 percent in 2003, according to trade publication Livre Hebdo.

Theatre group Prachyanat organised a certificate-giving ceremony on July 9 for the 12 batch students who successfully received the course on acting and design.
   Dr Enamul Haq gave the best student’s award which went to Farhad Hamid while Dr Selim distributed certificates to the other participants of the course conducted by the renowned personalities.
   Marking the occasion, the organisation held a seminar where Dr Enamul haq, Dr Selim Al Din, Azad Abul Kalam and Shahidul Mamoon spoke. The organisation also inaugurated the function of 13 the batch on the day.
   The function was held at the Nilima Ibrahim Auditorium of the Bangladesh Mahila Samity on Baily Road.
   After the prize-giving ceremony, the students of the 12 batch staged the drama titled Muntasir, written and directed by Selim Al Din and Heera Chowdhury respectively.
   As a director, Heera made his debut through the play. The plot of the play revolves around Muntasir who got a super power. Capitalising his power, he eats everything including Shari, rope, papers, files, antic and others.
   About the play, the director said, ‘I am a new comer in theatre. It is my debut play. All the crew including my assistant director, music director, actors are new’.
   ‘The whole team feel very excited about the work. I hope the audience will enjoy our production’ he added.
   The set of the play has been designed by Kazi Toufiqul Islam Imon. Saiful Islam and Nurul Islam were responsible for lighting and costume.
   Different roles are played by Syed Istiak Hossain, Farhad Hamid, Mahmuda Akhter Tuli, Sharmin Jahan, Safat Shimul, Ronit, Al-amin, Shammi and others.

Marking Friendship Day, the Showbiz Entertainment will hold a five-day music festival at the Bashundhara City.
   The festival will kick off on August 3 and will continue till August 7, said the organiser.
   On the occasion, a press briefing was held at the National Press Club on Tuesday.
   Chief executive officer of the organisation, Fahmida Anwar Munni, Swapan Chowdhury, singer Mehrab, addressed the briefing, among others.
   Different production houses will take part at the festival.
   To make the event a success, renowned musicians and young singers will perform during the festival.
   Besides, the organiser will also arrange CD launching programmes at the festival.