People and Culture
Jashore’s Iconic Manihar Cinema Struggles to Survive
Manihar, once Asia’s second-largest cinema hall and the pride of Jashore, is now struggling to survive. Once a hub for moviegoers year-round, the theater now sees audiences mostly during the two Eid festivals, leaving the rest of the year marked by losses.
Owner Ziaul Islam Mithu says the crisis stems from the shortage of Bangladeshi films and a halt in importing foreign movies, particularly from India. To keep the theater running, Manihar has been screening old Tollywood films like Jeet’s Abhiman multiple times, but audiences have dwindled. Since Eid-ul-Azha, no major Dhallywood releases have hit the screens, and the few available art films have failed to attract viewers.
The hall’s survival now depends largely on revenue from its adjoining shops, hotels, and community center. “In the past, we had two new releases every week. Now we barely get one film a month. Without quality local films or the option to import, cinema halls will inevitably shut down,” Mithu told reporters.
Hall owners have recently held discussions with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting about film import policies, but no concrete decision has yet been announced.
Established on December 8, 1983, with a seating capacity of 1,400, Manihar quickly gained fame for its modern design and interior decoration supervised by celebrated artist SM Sultan. Today, however, the historic theater faces an uncertain future.
Two people, including a van driver, were killed after a passenger bus struck a van in Chuadanga Sadar’s Alokdia Bazar on Sunday afternoon. Two others were injured, with both critically wounded victims transferred to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.
The deceased were identified as Parveen Akhter, 45, of Monirampur village in Alokdia Union, and van driver Ramzan Ali, 26, who later died on the way to the hospital. The injured—Israt from Rajapur and Shabdul from Jhenaidah’s Kotchandpur—remain under treatment.
According to police, the bus was travelling from Chuadanga to Meherpur when it rammed into the van from behind at Alokdia Bazar. One of the van passengers died on the spot. Rescue teams transported the injured to Chuadanga Sadar Hospital, from where two were referred to Rajshahi due to their critical condition.
Additional Police Superintendent Mostafizur Rahman said legal procedures are underway and the bodies will be handed over to the families. The bus driver fled the scene after the accident.
At least 10 people were injured in a clash between two groups over a wedding invitation dispute in Bakri village under Jhenaidah Sadar upazila. The incident took place on Saturday morning (22 November), according to police.
Locals and police said tension began after Rafiqul Islam failed to invite his neighbour, Shahin Uddin, to his daughter’s wedding held on Friday. The following morning, Shahin and his associates allegedly attacked Rafiqul’s house, triggering a violent confrontation. Both groups reportedly used improvised weapons, leaving at least 10 people injured.
Police arrived at the scene and brought the situation under control. The injured were taken to Jhenaidah Sadar Hospital for treatment. Authorities have deployed additional police in the area as tensions remain high, said Sadar Police Station OC Abdullah Al Mamun.
A strong earthquake jolted Dhaka and several parts of Bangladesh on Friday morning, leaving five people dead nationwide, including four in the capital. The tremor, measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale, was felt at 10:39 am (21 November) across Bangladesh as well as parts of India.
Widespread panic followed the quake, with many fearing a stronger one might occur. Experts say the epicenter was close to Dhaka, causing the shaking to feel unusually intense. According to Md Mominul Islam, Director at the Meteorological Department, the outcome could have been catastrophic had the tremor lasted another 5 to 7 seconds.
The Met Office categorizes Bangladesh into three seismic risk zones. Districts in Sylhet, Mymensingh, Kishoreganj, Brahmanbaria, parts of Tangail, Gazipur and Narsingdi, along with the hilly districts of Khagrachhari and Rangamati, fall under the highest risk zone. In contrast, Khulna, Jessore, Barishal and Patuakhali are considered low-risk regions.
Urban authorities have identified around 2.1 million buildings in Dhaka as vulnerable. A joint JICA and Disaster Management Programme survey warns that a quake of magnitude 7 or higher could destroy up to 72,000 buildings and damage another 135,000 in the capital, creating nearly 70 million tons of debris.
Experts attribute Bangladesh’s seismic vulnerability to its position along multiple active fault lines, including the Indian and Eurasian plate boundaries and the Dauki, Madhupur, and Sagaing faults.
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