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Mymensingh, known as a hub of education and culture, once had five cinema halls: Ajanta, Chayabani, Aloka, Purabi, and Sena Auditorium. These halls were popular in the 1980s, but declining film quality, low attendance, and a bomb attack in 2002 led to their gradual closure. Ajanta, Aloka, and Sena Auditorium shut down over time, leaving only Chayabani and Purabi operational. However, Purabi is currently being demolished for a multi-story building project.
Sources report that Chayabani typically sees low attendance except during Eid. On Eid day, Tandav drew large crowds from the morning, overwhelming the 750-seat, two-story hall. During the 3:30 PM show, a technical glitch halted the screening, sparking outrage among viewers who damaged seats, chairs, posters, and ticket counter doors and windows.
Viewer Al-Amin Hossain, who traveled from Sherpur, said, “This hall is decent for the division, but we faced issues buying tickets, water inside the hall, and the movie stopping abruptly. This is unacceptable, which led to the vandalism.”
Another viewer, Hasan Zakir, added, “Hundreds were waiting outside. The management kept selling tickets despite the show not being over, which is against rules. Sound and display issues during the screening were highly frustrating for a superhit movie like Tandav.”
The hall’s cashier, Al-Amin Sheikh, stated, “Problems arise unexpectedly, but we didn’t anticipate this reaction. The issue was resolved quickly, but viewers threw seats from the upper floor, risking accidents. They damaged chairs, the cash counter, and even looted money. Such incidents make running the hall unsustainable.”
ASI Md. Rasel from the city’s No. 3 police outpost said, “We responded swiftly to control the situation. The incident stemmed from excessive excitement. While issues can occur, taking the law into one’s own hands is not justified.”
AI/MR
