Modern: The last remaining movie theatre in Dinajpur

Starting in 1967, Modern cinema hall was one of 20 in Dinajpur district to have drawn many residents of the town and rural areas to watch movies with family members every month with great enthusiasm. 

On the other hand, youths, business people, and those from the working class frequented the movie theatres since they could watch new films released in Dhaka and Dinajpur simultaneously. And some people used to do small jobs under the cinema hall authorities – from canvassing to ticket selling or running small businesses around the place, such as selling peanuts, snacks, betel leaves, and various other items.

Chowrangi Cinema Hall in present time Dhaka Tribune

But that tradition is now history. 

Some 5,000 people have lost their livelihood over the last two decades and have had to look for alternative earning sources due to the closure of Bostan, Lilly, Chourangi and Jewel cinema halls in Dinajpur town, and 15 others across the district. 

Some hall owners who had multiple businesses could continue the legacy of their fathers and grandfathers, but many others switched businesses and left the halls operational at limited capacity – running old and cheap movies and not repairing the infrastructure. The worn and ragged condition of the halls is another key reason why audiences lost interest in watching movies on the silver screen.

Chowrangi Cinema Hall in present time Dhaka Tribune

In recent years, a huge market has been constructed in the place where Bostan cinema hall used to be, while Lilly hall is now a state-of-the-art shopping complex. After being abandoned for a long time, Chowrangi and Jewel hall buildings have turned into haunted houses. The same has happened to many other cinema halls once operational in the upazila headquarters.

Bostan Cinema Hall in present time Dhaka Tribune

Audience numbers started to fall after bomb attacks on cinema halls in Mymensingh and Satkhira that killed scores of people in 2002. The outlawed militant group Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) carried out the attacks, terming cinemas anti-Islamic as part of its campaign. Since then, the number of cultural competitions and events has also decreased significantly.

“People still watch movies, but on phones and computers. They've YouTube and Facebook. People want to watch popular movies from both Bangladesh and India at the cinema halls. Bollywood movies should be allowed to save the cinema hall business,” said Modern hall licensee SM Parvez, a member of the Cinema Hall Owners' Association.

“Up until 2003, the movie theater business was quite good. There was a lot of audience. After that, the number of people in cinemas decreased,” he told Dhaka Tribune. “Because of this, many hall owners were de-motivated and started leaving the business and kept operations at a limited capacity.”