The everyday barriers that can hold women back from leadership take centre stage in Bihan (The Beginning), a new fiction film produced by Oxfam in Bangladesh as part of its Rise & Lead initiative.
Directed by Hemanta Sadeeq, the film stars Dilruba Doyel and Nishat Priom as Shiuli and Rakhi, 2 working women navigating expectations around behaviour, care responsibilities, confidence and power.
BoxOffice produced the film, with cinematography by Sahil Rony and Hridoy Sarkar. Dhaka Tribune is the media partner of the film.
Rather than relying on dramatic transformations, Bihan explores how social conditioning, workplace realities, family responsibilities and self-doubt can shape women’s professional choices. At the heart of the story is the process through which both women begin to recognise their own agency, voice and potential to lead.
“We intentionally moved away from framing empowerment through grand speeches or dramatic cinematic turns,” director Hemanta Sadeeq said. “The power of Bihan lies in its focus on everyday, subtle friction — because that is precisely where the real barriers to leadership exist. I believe authentic leadership doesn’t always demand an extraordinary catalyst; often, it begins with the quiet realization of one’s own voice.”
The film’s visual language follows the same understated approach, using naturalistic performances and familiar middle-class urban settings to reflect gradual changes in behaviour. Mirrors and reflections recur as motifs of self-discovery, while the final image of a green traffic signal points to movement, possibility and a new beginning.
Nishat Priom said the story appealed to her because of how recognisable its characters are.
“What attracted me to the story is how recognizable these women are. They are capable and responsible, yet they are constantly negotiating expectations at work, at home and within themselves,” she said. “Bihan is about that moment when a woman begins to see her own strength differently. I encourage everyone to watch the film.”
The film is the latest public-facing element of Rise & Lead, Oxfam’s initiative to advance women’s leadership by addressing barriers at individual, community, workplace and structural levels.
“Women’s leadership cannot depend only on asking women to become more confident or ambitious. Institutions, workplaces and families must also change,” said Mahmuda Sultana, Programme Director, Oxfam in Bangladesh. “We need systems that recognize women’s capabilities, redistribute care responsibilities, create fair opportunities and, most importantly, are prepared to share decision-making power.”
Through the story of Shiuli and Rakhi, Bihan translates the initiative’s advocacy agenda into an accessible human narrative, connecting women’s leadership with everyday realities at home, at work and within institutions.
The film has been developed under the supervision of Md Sariful Islam, with Shawon Koiri as writer. The cast also includes Bappy Ashraf, Nazmul Hasan, Aadnan Chowdhury, Prionmoyi Prio and Sayan Rahman.
Bihan will be released on Oxfam in Bangladesh’s social media platforms on August 14 at 8pm.
