Renowned Bangladeshi filmmaker Zahidur Rahim Anjan dies at 61
Dhaka: Award-winning Bangladeshi filmmaker Zahidur Rahim Anjan, best known for his critically acclaimed film Meghmallar, passed away at the age of 61 on Monday night. He died while undergoing treatment for liver disease at a hospital in Bengaluru, India, filmmaker Akram Khan confirmed.
Anjan had been battling liver-related complications for a long time and had traveled to India for treatment. Despite undergoing surgery, his condition worsened post-operation. His wife, writer Shaheen Akhtar, was by his side during his final moments. Arrangements are being made by the Bangladesh Short Film Forum to bring his body back home.
Tributes from the Bangladeshi film community poured in following the news of his death. Filmmaker Giasuddin Selim wrote on Facebook, "Rest in peace, friend, how much is left to be said. See you soon." Director Amitabh Reza Chowdhury also paid his respects, saying, "Dada, wait a bit. Coming up to complete the talk over Tarkovsky."
Anjan made his feature film debut with Meghmallar in 2014, based on Akhtaruzzaman Elias’s short story Raincoat. The film earned him Bangladesh National Film Awards for Best Director and Best Dialogue in 2015. His most recent project, Chander Amaboshay (Dark Moon), funded by the government, is awaiting release.
Beyond his filmmaking contributions, Anjan was a founding member of the Bangladesh Short Film Forum and served as a faculty member in the Department of Film and Media Studies at Stamford University Bangladesh. He was also a jury board member for the National Film Awards last year.
Anjan is survived by his wife, two brothers, a sister, and numerous friends and relatives.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
