Narayanganj's traditional Lovely Cinema Hall to be demolished

Several traditional cinema halls in Bangladesh have shut down, with many being demolished. Unfortunately, the historic Lovely Cinema Hall, located beside the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway in Kanchpur, Narayanganj, will also meet the same fate.

The hall is situated near the Kanchpur fresh produce market and the Lovely bus stop. Although Bengali films were once regularly screened there, its operations had been irregular for a long time.

The Lovely Cinema Hall was already on the verge of closure, and now its permanent shutdown has been confirmed.

Film director and producer Shahadat Hossain Liton announced that the Lovely Cinema Hall is closing forever. He wrote on Facebook, “The traditional Lovely Cinema Hall is shutting down. It marks the end of a chapter. A decision has been made to demolish the hall next Friday.”

However, he also offered a note of optimism, suggesting that the closure of Lovely would pave the way for a new chapter. Responding to comments on his post, he hinted that a multi-storey commercial complex would be built on the site, with plans to include a cineplex named ‘Lovely’.

In response to a question about what would replace the demolished hall, Liton wrote, “There is an intention to construct a commercial building on the site of the Lovely Cinema Hall. Plans are also underway to include a cineplex there.”

It could not be ascertained when the Lovely Cinema Hall was built or how long it had been standing, as no specific or official records regarding its establishment year could be found in media archives.

Nevertheless, the Lovely Cinema Hall complex in the Sonapur area of Kanchpur is a long-standing entertainment hub and a well-known local landmark. The surrounding area is even referred to as ‘Lovely Cinema Hall Mor’ (Lovely Cinema Hall Intersection).

- NS