Bangladesh Documentary Festival 2011 Begins Today

Manzar-e Hasin Murad speaks at the press conference. Photo: Mumit M.

For the fourth time, Bangladesh Documentary Council (BDC) is arranging Bangladesh Documentary Festival. Finance Minister AMA Muhith will inaugurate the four-day long festival today at Shawkat Osman Memorial Auditorium, Central Public Library, Shahbagh in Dhaka. The festival, biennial in nature, was first held in 2005. Marking 40 year of independence of Bangladesh, this year's festival title is "Documenting Bangladesh 4".
A press conference was held yesterday in this regard at Dhaka Reporters' Unity in the capital. Adviser of BDC, Manzar-e Hasin Murad, welcomed all at the conference. He also directed the conference.
Festival Director Reshmi Ahmed read out the elaborate arrangement for this year's festival. President and General Secretary of BDC Shabnam Ferdousi and Anwar Chowdhury, respectively, were present on the occasion while the former participated in a question-answer session. Muhiuddin Babar, vice president (Corporate Affairs) of mobile phone operator Robi, the main sponsor of the festival, also spoke at the press conference.
"Being a creative form of art, documentary making needs skills. Documentaries can play a key role in keeping the society aware of various issues. People may become aware of their rights regarding education and health through documentaries," said Muhiuddin Babar.
Aside from Public Library, the festival will also be held simultaneously at Poet Sufia Kamal Auditorium of Bangladesh National Museum.
A total of 82 documentaries were submitted this year in three categories -- general screening and two competitions. Of these, 33 documentaries have been selected for screening at the festival. Each show at the festival will begin with screening documentaries on the Liberation War. Apart from Liberation War and patriotism, documentaries at the festival will feature everyday struggles; exploitation; life sketches of Baul and indigenous people; religious rituals etc. A documentary on Ritwik Ghatak's film "Titash Ekti Nadir Naam" and the present state of the people living on the banks of the river will also be screened.
Eminent and emerging Bangladeshi documentary makers along with several foreign participants, including Canadian filmmaker Janet Best, will showcase their films at the festival.
Iconic filmmaker Zahir Raihan will be honoured [posthumously] at the inaugural ceremony.
A national workshop, titled "Bangladesh-e Pramanyo Chitro Nirman: Nirmatar Obhiggota", will be held at a special session at 4pm on the third day (February 11) of the festival, while a seminar, titled "Itihash Shongrokkhon: Pramanyo Chitro Nirmatar Bhumika", will follow at 10am on the last day (February 12).
Professor Abdullah Abu Sayeed will hand over prizes to the winners of the competition.
Manusher Jonno Foundation, Mina Bazar, Singer Bangladesh Limited and BBC Janala are the special sponsors of the festival.
ATN News, Radio Today and bdews24.com are the media partners of the festival.