The New Nation - Internet Edition

Nurul Islam’s solo art exhibition begins today

Entertainment Report

Artist Nurul Islam's fifth solo art exhibition titled 'The Enchantment of the Transcendental' will be inaugurated at 6:00pm at the Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts in the city on Saturday.

This was disclosed at a press conference at the Bengal Shilpalaya in the city yesterday. Subir Chowdhury, Director of the gallery, artist Nurul Islam, among others, were present at the conference.

Sarwar Jahan Shanto of the gallery read out a written statement on the occasion.

Shanto said, "Eminent litterateur Hasnat Abdul Hye will inaugurate the exhibition, while architect Shamsul Wares will be present as special guest. Seventy-two art works of Nurul Islam will take place in the show. The exhibition will be sponsored by Citibank NA."

The exhibition will conclude on June 18. The gallery remains open from 12:00 noon to 8:00pm everyday, he said.

Artist Nurul Islam said he was the student of third batch in Fine Arts Institute of Dhaka University (then Government Art Institute, Dhaka). He was born in 1933 in Tangail. He got his BFA degree in 1956. Earlier, he took part in four exhibitions and many group exhibitions. Nurul Islam is an artist of semi abstract with cubism typed. He draws many symbols where there is a combination of lines. He used especially black, yellow and red colours for the exhibition's works.

TV Watch: Mashi-Pishi on ATN Bangla

Entertainment Report

ATN Bangla aired a single-episode play 'Mashi-Pishi' at 8:00 pm on Friday.

The play was the adaptation of a short story by Manik Bandyopadhyay.

Shimul Yusuff, Ishrat Nishat and Chandni played the major roles in the play.

The story revolved around the lives of three women. Two of them were widows.

Pishi lived with her brother. Mashi lived with the same family; her sister was Pishi's sister-in-law. Mashi and Pishi had a nephew and a niece.

Ahladi, the niece, was married off at a tender age. Not being able to tolerate the mistreatment of her alcoholic husband, Ahladi came to live with her parents.

Her parents and brother passed away after an outbreak of cholera. Mashi and Pishi in future took on all responsibilities of Ahladi.

Fauzia Khan directed the play.

Printmaking exhibition at Bengal Gallery

Entertainment Report

A printmaking exhibition titled 'In Search of Beautiful Impressions' was inaugurated at the Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts in the capital on Monday.

Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University Dr SMA Faiz inaugurated the exhibition, while artist Mahmudul Haque was present as special guest on the occasion.

About 60 artworks of the country's eminent artists including Mohammad Kibria, Quaiyum Chowdhury, Hashem Khan, Samarjit Roy Chowdhury, Rafiqun Nabi, Mahmudul Haque, Farida Zaman, Abdus Shakoor Shah, Kanak Chanpa Chakma, Ranjit Das took place in the gallery.

A printmaking workshop conducted by Prof Nirmalendu Das and Prof Pinaki Barua from Biswabharati University of Santiniketan, India was held at the Fine Arts Institute of Dhaka University from May 18 to 24.

The Fine Arts Institute and Bengal Foundation jointly organised the workshop. The exhibition was ended on June 4.

DU Linguistic Dept celebrates 15th anniversary

Entertainment Report

Dhaka University linguistics department recently celebrated its 15th founding anniversary through a colourful programme at the Teacher-Student Centre (TSC).

The programmes included procession, function, seminar and musical performances. Several hundred students and teachers attended the celebration programme.

Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University SMA Faiz spoke at the programme as chief guest, while Chairperson of the department Feroza Yasmin presided over it.

A seminar styled as 'The Past and the Present of Linguistics in Bangladesh' followed the opening ceremony.

University Grants Commission chairman, Nazrul Islam attended the seminar as chief guest while Professor Daniul Huq presented the keynote paper.

Noted singers Subir Nandi and Mahmuduzzaman Babu and department students took part in the cultural function.

Hollywood: Brad Pitt manager denies Angelina Jolie birth report

Agencies, Los Angeles

Brad Pitt's manager has denied a recent television report that Oscar winner Angelina Jolie, who has publicly acknowledged she was expecting twins with the actor, had given birth to them in France this week.

"It's not true. It's a rumor," Pitt's Los Angeles-based talent manager, Cynthia Pett-Dante, told Reuters in a statement issued by her office. She declined further comment.

However, "Entertainment Tonight" said it stood by its report on Friday that Jolie had given birth to twin daughters in France, attributing the story to an unidentified person close to the actress. "The source says she was inside the delivery room, tells 'ET' yes, the babies were born, and yes, mother and daughters are fine," the syndicated program said in its broadcast.

The story was disputed almost from the start by various other celebrity news outlets, with People magazine quoting an unnamed representative for Jolie on its Web site as saying: "Angelina has not given birth. She is fine, enjoying her home and her family in France."

Meanwhile, another celebrity publication, Britain's NOW magazine, reported the latest additions to the Jolie-Pitt clan had already been named Isla Marcheline and Amelie Jane.

There was no immediate comment from Jolie's Los Angeles-based manager.

The only maternity clinic in the southern French city of Aix-en-Provence, the region where Jolie and Pitt were believed to be staying, said it had no information. Town hall officials there said they were aware of the media reports but did not know if they were true.

Just two weeks ago Jolie, 32, publicly acknowledged she was pregnant with twins during an interview at the Cannes film festival, where she was promoting the animated film "Kung Fu Panda" and the latest Clint Eastwood drama, "The Exchange."

In an interview with Vanity Fair magazine due to hit newsstands next week and excerpted on its Web site on Friday, Jolie said Pitt found her to be very appealing when pregnant.

"I'm fortunate," she told the magazine. "I think some women have a different experience depending on their partner. t I happen to be with somebody who finds pregnancy very sexy. So that makes me feel very sexy." In Touch magazine reported this week that Jolie had been ordered to bed for the remainder of her pregnancy and was due to give birth via a Caesarean section around mid-July. Jolie and Pitt, 44, whose romance became public after they co-starred in the 2005 film "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," already have one biological daughter together, Shiloh, who was delivered by Caesarean section a year ago in the southern African nation of Namibia.