Advertisement filmmaker Tarek Mahmud Shumon has directed a thought-provoking CSR ad film as part of Domex and Bhumijo's collaborative campaign, launched on World Toilet Day. Titled "Public-er Toilet Hok Bondho", the campaign addresses the rampant issue of public urination on roads, which has long plagued urban areas in Bangladesh.

The campaign, conceived by marketing agency FCB Bitopi, is brought to life by Tarek’s production company, Centreback Productions. Reflecting on his experience, Tarek Mahmud Shumon shared, “From scouting locations to shooting, everywhere I looked, the problem was undeniable—public urination is killing the aesthetics and hygiene of our urban spaces.”

Tarek humorously recounted an incident during the shoot that underscored the campaign's relevance. A graffiti set had been constructed to depict public urination as part of the storyline. However, during filming, an outsider mistook the set for a real spot and began urinating there, completely oblivious to the ongoing shoot. “It was absurd but symbolic of how normalized this behavior has become in our city,” Tarek remarked.

The ad film features striking visuals and an impactful narrative that highlights the consequences of such behavior and advocates for the use of clean, accessible public toilets. The slogan, "Public-er Toilet Hok Bondho", serves as a call to action for citizens to take responsibility for improving urban hygiene.

Tarek Mahmud Shumon, a Dhaka-based filmmaker known for his creative and socially impactful projects, emphasized the importance of storytelling in addressing critical issues. “This project was not just a campaign but an eye-opener for me as a filmmaker. It’s about creating change, one story at a time,” he said.

The campaign has already started making waves on digital platforms, sparking conversations about public hygiene and the collective role citizens play in shaping cleaner cities. Under Tarek’s direction and with the creative vision of FCB Bitopi, the Domex x Bhumijo initiative marks a significant step toward transforming public behavior and fostering urban responsibility.

For Tarek Mahmud Shumon, the campaign is another testament to his commitment to blending creativity with purpose, using film as a medium to drive meaningful change in society.

Dhaka, Bangladesh – In a celebrated evening honoring excellence in the Bangladeshi entertainment industry, actress Munia Islam has been awarded the prestigious Best Actress title at the Bangladesh Achievers Award 2024 for only teen detective series in Bangladesh “Choto Kaku”. Munia has been captivating audiences since the show premiered in 2015.

Her portrayal of the series' protagonist has garnered widespread acclaim for its authenticity and spontaneity, establishing her as a favorite among viewers in this unique genre. Due to Munia's absence at the ceremony, her mother, Hasina Akther, graciously accepted the award on her behalf.

Munia’s acting career soared in 2012 with the hit daily soap Agnipath, which was the most popular show and achieved the highest TRP ratings, quickly making her a household name.Over the years, she has demonstrated her versatility across various successful productions, including Mayar Khela and Swapnojaal, earning accolades from both audiences and critics. This latest recognition serves as a testament to her significant contributions to Bangladeshi television and her ability to infuse depth and relatability into her characters.

The Bangladesh Achievers Award continues to be a respected platform for acknowledging outstanding performances and productions within the industry. Munia's previous accolades include recognition from Notre Dame College in 2015 for her contributions to the arts, further emphasizing her commitment to her craft.

In addition to her acting prowess, Munia Islam is also known for her work as a model and television anchor. Widely regarded as one of the brightest stars of her generation, she continues to inspire aspiring artists within the industry. As Munia embarks on new projects, fans and industry insiders alike eagerly anticipate her next artistic endeavors, confident that she will continue to deliver memorable performances to audiences nationwide.

Members of one of Pakistan's most popular groups 'Jal (Water)' are now in Dhaka. They have come to sing at the 'Legend of the Decade' concert. On this occasion, the band's vocalist and popular actor Gauhar Mumtaz appeared in a press conference yesterday. He talked about band career, Atif Aslam's departure from the band, etc. Written by Masid Ron

Masid Ron: Today's concert has been postponed.

Gauhar Mumtaz: Yes. After making all kinds of preparations, if the concert is canceled at the last minute, it is heartbreaking. Also today (September 27) marks 20 years of our band's debut album 'Adaat'. It was supposed to be celebrated today at the 'Legend of the Decade' concert. But that too did not happen at the right time. In fact, we have no hand in natural events. It is not safe for anyone to hold a concert on an open stage on such a continuous rainy day. Keeping that in mind, the organizers have postponed today's concert. But I will not return without listening to the songs of my beloved fans in Dhaka. The new concert date will be announced this evening. Hope we all enjoy a great evening.

Masid Ron: How do you feel when you come to Dhaka?

Gauhar Mumtaz: After an age I came to Dhaka to sing. When I first came, I kept thinking, we sing in Urdu and everyone here speaks Bengali. How much will the audience here understand our song! But I was surprised every moment when I got on stage. Every line of every song in our band is memorized by them. That time I returned to Pakistan with a different experience.

This time too, it doesn't seem that I have come after so long because our band was not even a day away from the audience of Bangladesh. I think Bangladeshi fans are the cutest. They love us selflessly. Whenever we post any new song, video or social media, the first reaction we get is from Bangladesh. They constantly invite us through social media to sing in Bangladesh. Finally we have fulfilled their expectations.

Masid Ron: Two former members of the band 'Jal' Atif Aslam (one of the most popular artists in Bollywood and Pakistan) and Farhan Saeed (now a very popular actor in Pakistan). Did they have any problems leaving the band?

Gauhar Mumtaz: I wouldn't exactly call it a problem. But a kind of challenge is created. When you work with a structure it takes time to reorganize when it changes. The same happened with our band. After they left we faced the challenge of starting again in a new set-up. But since we have been singing most of the songs in a unified voice, the audience did not feel the lack of a particular person. It's been an age since they left and our band hasn't changed. We did a lot of new songs during this time. We are still alive because the audience likes them. We wouldn't have come this far as a band if the fans missed anyone. And as we do our old songs, so does Atif in his solo shows. I think the songs are getting more recognition by doing this.

Masid Ron: Don't you miss a singer like Atif Aslam in your band?

Gauhar Mumtaz: Honestly, I don't miss it. This happened 20 years ago, everyone knows the story of why he left the band. He wants to build his solo music career. And an artist has that freedom. What is the use of holding him back or missing the decision that will be good for him? But I still have a good relationship with him. We still talk about music. I have immense respect for him.

But I am not familiar with Atif because of the song. We studied in the same university. He was two years younger than me. I've been into songwriting, composition ever since. I composed the song 'Adaat' for the first time. But I was not so confident about the song. My friend also said what kind of song it is? But Atif liked my music. So they wanted to make music together. This is how we started our journey and got introduced to people.

Masid Ron: Your band's last album came out in 2013. Why didn't you make an album after that?

Gauhar Mumtaz: There is no album culture in Pakistan now. Everyone releases singles now. So we also released more than 15 singles in last 12-13 years. Besides, we are regularly making songs for Pakistani serials. Recently we did an entire album for the first full-length movie. Apart from me, artists like Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Aima Baig have sung there.

But we get many requests to make albums from different places including India-Bangladesh. So now I have started working on a new album. Not yet announced in Pakistan. Since the fans of Bangladesh are very special to us, we announced our third album here. The name of the album is 'Barish'. I hope that next time I will be able to entertain you with the songs of this new album.

Masid Ron: Recently you made your debut as a hero…

Gauhar Mumtaz: Yes. I have acted in 6-7 serials before this. After mastering myself in acting, I went to the cinema. A few days ago my first movie 'Avi' was released. My co-star were stars like Kubra Khan, Hareem Farooq. The movie directed by Asad Mumtaz Malik was well liked by the audience.

Masid Ron: Pakistan has a political history with Bangladesh. How much do you know about the recent political changes in Bangladesh?

Gauhar Mumtaz: It's worth commenting on. I don't know as much as it is important to know. But the issue must have caught my eye through the headlines of Pakistani newspapers. But since I was very busy with the promotion of my first film, there was no time to think about anything outside of that. But I can say this, if you are satisfied with the changes that have come in this country, then the whole world is satisfied with it. It is applicable for any country. If the people of that country are good, it is good for the whole world.

Due to the ongoing quota reform movement, the entire country is now divided into two groups. One group is in favor of the movement and another group is in favor of the government. However, the artistic community of the country has always been free thinking. They speak for justice and without prejudice. In other words, since the purpose, belief and thinking of artists are the same, everyone should be of the same opinion in any situation.

But in the ongoing situation of the country, that is no longer the case. The artiste community was also divided into two groups. So far many stars have spoken against the rights of students and the violence against them. But no one is heard to say that these works are being done right. Not that some artists are still talking about this, but what happened today is clear that there is a difference of opinion in the artist community!

On the one hand, this morning in the capital's Farm gate area, despite the rain, popular stars and producers gathered to speak for the students. On the same day, another group of artists and stars visited BTV.

Due to the quota movement, these artists have suffered due to the massive fire incident in BTV. Many artists got emotional at the poor state of BTV from which they emerged as artists. Among them were legendary actress Sujata Azim, actor and present Member of Parliament Ferdous Ahmed, actor Riaz Ahmed, actress Nipun Akhtar, actor Azizul Hakim, actress Shomi Kaiser, Rokeya Prachi, Tanveen Sweety, Sohana Saba, Jyotika Jyoti, Swagta, Noona Afroz, Shamima. Tusti, producer and actress Hridi Haque, producer SA Haque Olik, Ekushey Medalist vocalist Subhradev and many artists from the entertainment world.

At that time, the placards of the artists' hands were written - 'Students and terrorists are not the same', 'Our children should not be a shield of violence', 'why is BTV vandalized? Who is behind it?

Earlier also famous cultural personalities Ramendu Majumder, Nasir Uddin Yusuf Bachchu, Sara Zaker, Piyush Banerjee, Golam Quddus, Jhuna Chowdhury, media personality Faridur Reza Sagar, Shaikh Siraj etc. visited BTV.

On the other hand, popular actress Ajmeri Haque Bandhan, Rafiat Rashid Mithila, Zakia Bari Mom, Nazia Haque Arsha, actor Musharraf Karim, cinematographer Siam Ahmed, filmmaker Amitabh Reza, Redwan Roni took a stand against the killing and torture of students at Farm gate.

It is true that the students did not take responsibility for the massive loss of state resources in the name of agitation. Most of the people believe that this incident happened in the conspiracy of another evil circle.