Hridoye Dhaka-416

In a celebration of Dhaka’s 416-year history, the DSCC has arranged a week-long film festival at the traditional Madhumita Cinema Hall in Motijheel.

The film festival was inaugurated on Saturday by Prime Minister’s Political Adviser Zahir Uddin Swapan as the chief guest at a colourful ceremony organised by the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC).

DSCC sources said the festival has been arranged to showcase Dhaka’s rich history, heritage and diverse cultural traditions to the younger generation as part of the ‘Hridoye Dhaka-416’ celebrations.

The event featured a special honouring ceremony recognising noted film artistes, technicians, journalists and historic cinema halls for their contributions to preserving Dhaka’s cultural heritage and the country’s film industry.

Zahir Uddin Swapan praised the initiative and said its impact would be far-reaching. Referring to the decline in the number of cinema halls across the country, he said the number had fallen sharply from more than 850.

He attributed the changing audience habits partly to the widespread use of smartphones and modern multimedia platforms and stressed the need for filmmakers to consider changing audience preferences while making films. He also called for necessary policy support from the government to revive the sector.

Culture Affairs Minister Ali Newaz Mahmud Khaiyam said the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and the Ministry of Cultural Affairs would jointly work under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to revitalise Bangladesh’s film industry.

DSCC Administrator Md Abdus Salam said cinema had a deep connection with Dhaka’s history and heritage. Films played an important role in portraying the Liberation War, the Language Movement and the country’s anti-fascist movements, Salam, also a freedom fighter, maintained.

The DSCC administrator urged city residents to visit the Madhumita Film Festival-2026 with their families and enjoy the films free of charge during the seven-day festival.