& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Courtship in the backdrop of film societies

In conversation with Munira and Morshedul Islam

Fayza Haq
’Morshed and I met at a film appreciation course conducted by Chalochitram Film Society. 1 was a participant and he was a coordinator. We came across each other many times after that when we went to watch films screened by that society at various cultural centres. My brother Kaiser was involved in film societies too and it was through him that I first heard about him. We both grew to like each other tremendously though it
was Morshdl who first bxptessed his amorous feelings," says Munira Morshed, one of the leading female photographers of Bangladesh, who now teaches photography. Morshed is a filmmaker who has many awarded films to his credit. The couple, in their courtship days, also met at the Public Library steps, University Campus and a snack bar "Mowly", atShahbagh.
"We visited each other casually and our feelings developed. I found her sweet, gentle and intelligent, and longed to be in her company as often as possible. She used
to write an^^v-atf. interested in photography and good films, which were my interests too. 1 admired her sense of creativity. We exchanged phone calls too. One day I asked her to come to theTSC -- this was 20 years ago - - and there I declared my feelings for 'Munni', as we call her, and proposed to her. At the same time I confessed to her that I'd earlier been in love with another young woman," says Morshed.
"I knew that when he came to our house, seeing my brother was only an excuse," says Munira, "I
was well aware that coming to see me was the main purpose."
"Munni had a friend, who in turn had a boyfriend, and the four of us met from time to time for addas after class," adds Morshed.
The two families, with time, grew to learn of their romantic attachments. They, however, could not get formally married, according to tradition, as Munira's elder sister was not yet married at that time. The engagement and akht (marriage vows) took place, although they lived in their individual parental homes.
Morshed, incidentally, suffered from depression bouts from time to time. He had one such bad spell and hurt himself. His mother was ill too. Seeing the situation, Munira decided to go and live with Morshed and look after him and his family. A month later, a small wedding recep -tion was held at Morshed's house in Urdu Road, Old Dhaka.
The first days of our wedded life were naturally full of sunshine and laughter, although we shared the divan in thcJivingroom. Soon after Morstled left to study cinematography at Pune but left the place after three months. In 1989 the couple moved on to a little flat of their own on Green Road. Having studied Pharmacy, Morshed got a good job at BEXIMCO, but left it after having worked there only for a day, saying that he couldn't stand the stifling regular job.
Today with two lively children, Morshed is a reputed filmmaker, while Munira is a leading photographer. Despite not having many material comforts, they get on with life.