Cosplayers Brave Bad Weather

Organised by Dhaka Pop Expo for the third time, the Dhaka Pop Culture Expo 2015 came and went in style, despite the Kamen-caused drizzles and downpour. The event was held on July 31 and August 1, from 2 to 8 pm each day, at Baridhara DOHS Convention Centre in Dhaka. 

Unfortunately some visitors complained about the lack of space. Shafin from JU said, "The first event of this kind that I attended was Dhaka Comicon, and that massive space for roaming around is missing here, which is a bit disappointing."

Nevertheless, cosplayers and visitors joined in great numbers to enjoy the exposition. The variety of the cosplays has been remarkable. A wide array of cosplays – Naruto, Sasuke, Obito from Naruto, Buttercup, Saber from Fate/Stay Night, a few Jokers and Batm(e)n, a little Minion, Hermione, Jigsaw, the X-men, the team from Kuroko no Basuke and many more – took centre stage. There have been 60 cosplayers vying for 6 prizes in 3 categories. 

Cosplayers themselves seemingly enjoyed the show. Seeam, who cosplayed Kaneki from Tokyo Ghoul, said, "This is my first time cosplaying and the crowd and atmosphere have made this a great experience." As per tradition, the cosplayers interacted with the audience and posed as their respective characters. Photo-shoots and selfies were all around. There was also a stage for them to perform and PlaySomething Cosplay Photography was shooting and recording the event.

Apart from cosplay, the event housed stalls of Jamil's Comics & Collectibles, Dhaka Comicon, Saadi's Collectibles, Dhaka Museum of Toys, Shop@USA, Postersmith, Scavengers, Geekaroo, 3 Otaku Store, FIVE and Audacieux that showcased and sold comic books, t-shirts and various accessories. Along with them was an artist's corner where artists drew portraits, caricatures and artworks. There was stand-up comedy from Syko, ex-RJ of radioajkaal.com, to keep the crowd on the edge. The themed music from cartoons, movies, TV shows and video games in the background also helped maintain a vibrant atmosphere. 

Nesar Nadim Talukdar, one of the founders of Dhaka Pop Expo as well as Bangladesh Comicon, expressed his satisfaction, despite the unfavourable weather, "It's been a very successful and profitable event. The weather did cause a few problems, but eventually things were under control. Turnout has been great and the people seemed to be enjoying themselves."

He himself was cosplaying as Terminator from the first movie. Asked what his inspiration was behind organising the event, he replied, "I studied in UK for 11 years and comic-cons enjoy much fanfare there. I wanted to arrange something like that in Bangladesh." He will also be organising the second Bangladesh Comicon in January, 2016.  

At the end of the day it's not the costumes or the comics and accessories that mattered, it was the spirit that gathered the people sharing a common interest. It's like what Shreya from Rajuk said, "I'm a huge fan of comic-cons because they make way for socialising and loads of fun is a bonus."

PHOTOS: Shouvik Sarker Aubhro