Premiere of ULAB Film "Signal 10 Red Alert" at National Museum.

ULAB and Concern Universal Bangladesh (CUB) are hosting the World Premiere of the feature-length documentary film "Dosh Nombor Mohabipod Shonket - Signal 10 Red Alert: Tales of Survival...Through Unity" on July 3, 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., at the National Museum Auditorium, Shahbag, Dhaka.

Mr. Md. Mokhlesur Rahman, Secretary of the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management, will be the Chief Guest. Mr. Stefan Frowein, Ambassador of the European Union in Bangladesh; Mr. Ahsan Zakir, Director General of the Disaster Management; Prof. Rafiqul Islam, Vice Chancellor of ULAB; and Mr. Stephane Bonduelle, Country Director of CUB, would be the Special Guests. After the film showing, students will take questions from the audience.

Produced by students of the Media Studies and Journalism Department course "TV Production Skills," the film is about the interaction of students with members of coastal communities affected by cyclones Aila and Sidr. The synopsis reads: A group of university students went on a nine-day trip to visit two villages in Patuakhali and Barguna districts devastated by cyclones Sidr and Aila. While documenting their journey, they meet resilient people who not only survived nature’s fury but also surmounted it. The students then created a documentary full of tales of awe, vulnerability, loss, agony, strength, faith, inspiration and unity. The interaction between students and villagers resulted in an inner transformation, which allowed for empathy and the broadening of outlook.

The production of the feature length documentary was made possible under a Memorandum of Understanding between ULAB and CUB signed on February 2, 2010 by Vice Chancellor Rafiqul Islam and Country Director Stephane Bonduelle on behalf of ULAB and CUB, respectively. Students enrolled in ULAB’s "TV Production Skills" course, supervised by filmmaker Razibul Hossain, planned and produced the film that looked at the good practices and lessons learnt by community stakeholders in CUB’s Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction Project of the Fifth DIPECHO Action Plan for South Asia. Some highlights of the collaboration:

• February 11 - Students were oriented about CUB and its activities in Patuakhali and Barguna Districts.
• February 18 - Students participated in a seminar about Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction.
• April 3 - Students participated in a focused group discussion about disaster prevention in Bangladesh.
• April 6 to 14 - Students went to the cyclone affected areas and interacted with community members.

The students who participated in the documentary production are: Abdullah Al Ahasan, Abdullah Mohammed Hasan, Fahmida Sultana, Farhana Nasrin, Farhana Zabeen, Meer Iftikhairul Islam, Kamruzzaman, Md Nasiruddin, Md Rakibul Hasan, Md Reazul Hossain Bhuiyan, Rashenda Aziz, Rico Richard Halder, S M Habibullah, Sayeda Tasmiah Billah, Sultan Uz Zaman, Sultana Afifa Marium, Tarana Halim, Tarin Afreen and Tasnimul Hassan.

CUB has disaster risk reduction as one of its key programs. It aims to develop and strengthen institutions, mechanisms and capacities at all levels, in particular at the community level, which can systematically contribute to building resilience to hazards. ULAB, on the other hand, is an institution devoted to developing young minds to their fullest potential through the free and creative pursuit of knowledge. Alongside such intellectual growth, the institution is firmly committed to helping the young men and women to become responsible and caring citizens of their nation and the world.