গণ মাধ্যমের স্বাধীনতা: Interview with Kamrul Hasan Monju, Executive Director of Mass-Line Media Centre (MMC), Dhaka Bangladesh. He says about the development press freedom and present reality in Bangladesh
More information at http://www.mass-line.org
জলবায়ূ উদ্ভাস্তুু, জলবায়ূ মাইগ্রেশন: The video portrays the open talk by Afsan Chowdury, Senior Adviser and Professor of BRAC University on climate change focus to refugee and migration issues . Afsan Chowdhury says the global and Bangladesh reality, vulnerability, negotiation and role of government, international community and media well.
The interview was taken by Alice Baillat of Sciences Po Paris/ CERI and video by Shahjahan Siraj of Machizo.
Pahela Baishakh is the first day of Bangla new year which has been celebrated on 14 April with total heart and participation that know as “ Nôbo Bôrsho ”. Thousands people on this day pour into the streets, parks and public places across the country. It is the biggest festival of the Bangladesh. The celebration starts with Chyanot’s song performance in the early morning at Ramna Batamul, Dhaka.
There was no room to move at the Chhayanaut celebrations at Ramna Batamul as the continuation since 1964, brave steps to protest against the Pakistani cultural accusation. Along Ramna Park, the Dhaka University campus, Central Shahid Minar, Dhanmondi, and Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban area were sea of peoples.
Local handicrafts, fashion material and artifacts were displayed and sold at Baishakhi Melas in different parts of the capital. Women particularly young girls dress up white saris with red borders and men clothed punjabis, fatua with cultural pride and fashion. The young and children had their cheeks painted with floral designs or slogans by students of fine arts, welcoming the new year.
Different organisations brought out processions and organized musical programmes, fairs and cake festivals to mark the day. Students of the Institute of Fine Arts of Dhaka University took out traditional “Mangal Shobhajatra” in the morning with thousands of revelers wearing chequered masks. The colorful pageant was decorated with paper sculptures of a huge tiger, Doyel (magpie robin) which is the national bird, a rooster and a long snake, and masks of owl, tiger and fish.
In this national event, the security was high in alert by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and reserve police particularly in Roma for attack by fanatic groups.
As the history, the Pahela Baishakh, Bangla calendar has started since Emperor Akbar period. If was introduced in 1556 AC to ease tax collection by matching to the local harvesting sessions. However celebrating by the Bangali with the motivation to start yearly efforts with new vision and spirit. Generally, in countryside the businessperson as well as traders and shopkeepers open “Halkhata” (fresh accounts book) on this day and entertain the customers with sweets. Pahela Boishakh is celebrated in a festive manner in both Bangladesh and West Bengal . In Bangladesh, Pahela Boishakh is a public holiday, celebrated on April 14 according to the official amended calendar designed by the Bangla Academy but in West Bengal at 15 April.
Videography: J. Alam
Associates: Kamrul Hassain
Editing and direction: Shahjahan Siraj
পহেলা বৈশাখ, একদিকে বাংলা বছরের প্রথম দিন; অন্যদিকে বাঙালির প্রধান উৎসব। এদিন সমগ্র বাংলাদেশ মেতে ওঠে বর্ষবরণের উৎসবে। গ্রাম-শহর, হিন্দু-মুসলিম, বাঙালি-পাহাড়ি বর্ণ ধর্ম নির্বিশেষে নতুন করে সব কিছু শুরু করে। হৃদয় ঢালা দেশপ্রেমে স্বাগত জানায় নতুন বর্ষকে। সৌর বছরের শেষে, চৈত্রের এই সন্ধিণে দাড়িয়ে বাঙালি নতুন আগামীর স্বপ্ন বুনে। অতীতের পিছুটান আর জীর্ণতাকে মুছে নতুন উদ্যামে বরণ করে নেয় বৈশাখকে। আয়জন করে বিভিন্ন অনুষ্ঠানমালা।
পহেলা বৈশাখ, ইতিহাসের গোড়ায় বাঙালির কৃষ্টিতে না থাকলেও সম্রাট আকবরের সময়কাল ১৫৫৬ খ্রিষ্টাব্দ থেকে এর উৎযাপন শুরু হয়।
সারাদেশে মেলা, পার্বণ ও সাংস্কৃতিক আয়োজনের মাধ্যমে ও উৎযাপিত হলেও, ঢাকায় রমনার বটমূলে ছায়ানট আয়োজিত গানের আসর ও ঢাকা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের চারুকলা বিভাগের মঙ্গল শোভাযাত্রা প্রধান আর্কষন। শোভাযাত্রায় হাজারো মানষের শর্তহীন অংশগ্রহন মনে করিয়ে দেয়, “সাংস্কৃতিক শক্তিই পারে মানুষকে এগিয়ে নিতে। অসম্ভবকে সম্ভব করতে, প্রকৃত উন্নয়ন ঘটাতে। ”
ভিডিওগ্রাফী : জে. আলম
সহকারী : কামরুল হাসান
সম্পাদনা ও পরিচালনা : শাহজাহান সিরাজ
স্বত্ব: মাচিজো মাল্টিমিডিয়া
দুর্যোগ নিয়ন্ত্রণ: The video from ‘National Conference on Community Based Adaptation to Climate Change’ . The ninth session on ” Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation’ were chaired by Khurshid Alam, the specialist on disaster risk reduction and climate change. After the session he delivered comments on the presentations . He focused and give open feedback on disaster risk reduction and climate change reality in Bangladesh as well global trends on 9th April, 2012. The event was organized by BCAS and ARCAB.
Democracy is the vision for change: This film Democracy is the vision for change portrays the work, motivation and vision of a leader who are totally devoted for his country and people, showing the moving ahead for societal change for better future and lives.
মান্দী (গােরা) গান ও নৃত্য
There is four music video by the Mandi / Garo cultural group where the performers perform dance and sing songs with their own language. The videos have been captured in Madhupur, Tangail, Bangladesh.The Garos are a tribal people in Meghalaya, India and neighboring areas of Bangladesh, who call themselves A·chik Mande (literally “hill people.)
গ্রামীন বয়াতির গান
The mainstream media widely focus to the city based song and signer, however with expensive more and presentation. As an experiment, we have produced the video with zero investment to give space of rural signer in global media. The shooting was don in local natural environment however used local instrument ‘ektara’.
The singer ‘Abdur Rakman; is famous boiati (singer) in the ‘Hatil’ village of Muktagacha upazila. He expresses eternal story of romantic love and human desires in the song. The lyrics is having the words of deep affection with appeal to overcome difficulties in loving with symbolic character of Radha.
The video has been produced by the J. Alam and Likon of Machizo. However the song is composed by the singer himself with local motif and language of Mymensing region.
Film and edit: J. Alam.
Direction: Jahangir Alam & Likon
Production: Machizo Multimedia
রিক্সা চড়ার অভিজ্ঞতা
Rickshaw, the traditional eco-friendly, non-motorized vehicle in Bangladesh . Japanese word rickshaw refers to Jin-rickshaw. It is a popular transportation in West Bengal and around Bangladesh since 1938. First time it was a vehicle of the high society but now has becomes common transportation of middle class.
Bangladeshi rickshaw is artistic decorated by plastic flower, ornaments and rickshaw art. These arts are done by enamel colors, usually bold and vivid. At the back of rickshaw there are beautiful paintings of grameen scenarios and Bangladeshi movie stars. After independence, we witnessed the paintings portraying the Liberation War. The forms of art changes with time. By emerging of the digital technology, the rickshaw art now facing the struggle of existence The rickshaw artists are illiterate and have no formal art education. However this high motif art is not well recognized by the schools of art.
EARNINGS:
By doing a whole days of hard work a rickshaw puller still can not earn proper money for quality existence. The average income to a rickshaw puller is 200 taka but it is higher than the garments. But rickshaw pullers can not lead a good life due to illiteracy and superstitions. They generally take unhygienic food in the roadside restaurants. However the rickshaw pullers are not socially well recognized. They live in slums, generally don’t have family planning and can not send children to school, thus thing then into street children. Bachelor rickshaw pullers live like homeless people whereas they are actually NOT homeless.
Rickshaw pullers comes from the villages, mostly are economically marginalized but a huge chunk of the money is being redistributed back to the villages.
PROBLEMS AND SETBACKS:
The crude reality, Bangladesh government is now evicting the rickshaw from Dhaka with the help of World Bank. Already the rickshaw has been banned in the major roads to reduce traffic congestion. This policy is hampering the income of the rickshaw pullers without ensuring alternatives jobs. If complete eviction takes place, not only we will lose a heritage, but it will increase the crime by marginalized community as they will loose their income. Furthermore the rickshaw pullers live in a high risk of HIV/AIDS as they live far away from their families and sometimes get involved with unprotected prostitution.
Riding on the rickshaw is not mere commuting for the Bangladeshis, but is also a pleasure ride for the foreigners. As there are a lot of commotions about pollution worldwide, so this eco-friendly vehicle is certainly a sustainable mode of transportation.
Direction: Prof. Brian Shoesmith , Coordination: Shahjahan Siraj
Voiceover: G.S.Don; Script: Md. Nabil
Photography: Asafudollah Raju, Faiz-un-Nessa, Sharmin Aktar, Ahamed Rakib, Sjovon
A production of MSJ students in ULAB
Under this circumstances, AMIC, BNNRC and UNB jointly organized the seminar “Peoples Voices, Peoples Participation and Community Radio” in Dhaka on 04 May 2008.
Dr. Shamim Reza of Dhaka University presented a presentation on the ” Community Mobilization for Community Radio in Bangladesh”.
The video has been recorded by J. Alam and edited by Shahjahan Siraj with assistance of Kamrul Hasan
This documentary portrays the story of Shankha Art and Artist in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Shankhari Bazaar, the name itself is inheriting glory of shankha art. Once the Shankhari Bazar was famous as the place of art. The traditional Shankha industry is now struggling for survival. Fighting with Indian products, excessive prices of raw materials; however low-income and less market demands are the main cause of the struggle.
Before shankha was made by hand with touch of heart. Nowadays machine are widely using in Shankha industry. Although much works has been done within short time; but creativity become limited within monotonous format.
Cutting, cleaning, carving, sketching, designing and polishing are the six steps for making an artistic shankha. After cutting and cleaning, pairing and rounding has been done by machine.
Mithun Nagh, a shankha entrepreneur says, ” This is our family business comes from forefathers. The price of raw materials is rapidly increasing. So this industry is harassing for existence. In India, the tax on the raw material only 5% , but here in Bangladesh 35% . So Indian products price is very low and people interested to buy cordially the price product. To save this industry, we need to make a competitive market. For this purposes needs government’s patronization. Before the price of a pair range was 70-100 taka, but now Tk. 400. This is not effort able price for 80% Bangladeshi who are poor. If majority client can not buy shankha, how thHowever in market, alternative plastic shankha is available with 10 taka.e industry could be run?”
Waring ‘Shankha’ in hand and marking ‘Sindur’ (vermilon) on forehead are the traditions for Bengali married women. Hindu believes, shankhas keep mind and body cool. However conch-shell elements (like carbon) protect women from diseases. A couple of years before also Shankha’s ear-rings, necklaces and other attractive ornaments were widely used and popular. But now the popularity of shankha and traditional rituals are getting down with the effect of modernization.
Most of Shankha artists are from lower middle class whose daily income 70 — 120 taka. But in 80 decades daily salary range was 200 — 250 taka. There were original 142 Shankha shops in Shankhari Bazar, but now only remains 15 shops. Since early 90’s, the numbers are decreasing. The new generation does not interested to continue the Shankha art and Shanka business!
Shankhari Bazar is situated in old Dhaka. Narrow roads, high-density population and old architecture with less citizen facilities are the aspect of Shankhari Bazar. Now the community is living in high risky and unhealthy environment. As they are fighting with daily poverty, the spirit of traditional life is dimming. Most of the houses are over 100 years old. In 2004 19 lives were died by collapsing old building .
Shankha entrepreneur, Omio Kumar Soor says, “This is the time to save the traditional Shakhari Art by the governmental patronization. If government reduces the tax compare to India , this industry could be encouraged and survived . However it is need to make popular to all Bangladeshi people. We want to popularize the use of Shankha beyond the Hindu believers to all Bengali. If all Bangladeshi people, particularly the cultural peoples use the shankha, it could be easily popular. As a result , Shankha’s popularity would be increased, artist will get more work and the industry will be saved.”
Shahjahan Siraj
Dhaka, 3 May 2007
Note: The documentary, “Shankahri Bazar” portrays the reality of shankhari art & artist in old Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is a team work of Humayun Kabir, Washiqur Rahman, Shamsul Arifin, Raihath Sohel with direction of Shahjahan Siraj. It is a course project of MSJ-303, Ulab, Spring 2007.
