Eminent artist and media personality Mustafa Monowar inaugurated the festival yesterday. Syed Bazley Hussain, eminent documentary filmmaker and cinematographer, was honoured with lifetime achievement award for his contribution in the field of documentary in Bangladesh. After the inauguration, Sentu Ray's Right to Return, about the Palestinian peoples right to return to their own home and Ittukgula Changma's Khumi Ai Aimonai Rita, based on Khumi lives, were screened.

The festival aims at promoting the documentary film culture in the country. Syeda Neegar Banu, the festival director says, "There is a lack of clear concept about the genre. The festival will help to promote documentary as a creative genre that can authentically reflect reality. The festival brings documentaries of various forms and contents that will help to familiarise different aspects of the genre. Moreover, the festival can serve as a platform for interaction with the audience for the filmmakers as no alternative way for reaching people has developed yet for them."

A seminar on 'Use of Digital Technology in Independent Documentary Film Making' will be held at 10:30 am on February 17. Presided over by Manzarehassin Murad, filmmakers and critics will attend the seminar.

During the festival, documentaries will be screened daily at 11:00 am, 3:00 pm, 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm.