Dilruba Doyel, Nishat Priom headline ‘Bihan’ exploring working women’s realities

Short film “Bihan”, which explores how social attitudes, workplace realities and family pressures create unseen barriers to women’s leadership, is set to premiere at 8:00pm today.

Developed from the concept behind Oxfam in Bangladesh’s “Rise and Lead” initiative, the film follows the struggles, realities and journeys of self-discovery of two working women.

The production house confirmed in a press release that “Bihan” will be released on Oxfam in Bangladesh’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Directed by Hemanta Sadeeq, the film stars Dilruba Doyel and Nishat Priom in the lead roles.

The story centres on Shiuli and Rakhi, two working women navigating professional pressures, social expectations and the realities of their workplaces. It also examines how doubts about their own abilities influence the decisions they make.

“When a woman begins to rediscover her own voice and strength, it can open up possibilities for change both in society and within institutions. That is the message we wanted to convey through this film,” said director Hemanta Sadeeq.

“We did not want to portray women’s empowerment as something that suddenly happens through a dramatic speech or an extraordinary event. The struggles in ‘Bihan’ are very ordinary and grounded in reality. Often, leadership begins simply by recognising one’s own capabilities,” he added.

Speaking about the film, Nishat Priom said its characters would feel familiar to audiences.

“The characters in the story will seem very familiar to us. They are capable and responsible, yet they constantly have to contend with different expectations. ‘Bihan’ is about that moment when a woman begins to recognise the strength within herself,” she said.

The film was produced as part of Oxfam in Bangladesh’s “Rise and Lead” initiative, which seeks to advance women’s leadership.

Mahmuda Sultana, programme director at Oxfam in Bangladesh, said encouraging women to become more confident alone is not enough to ensure their participation in leadership.

“Institutions, workplaces and families must also change. We need a system that recognises women’s capabilities, distributes care responsibilities fairly and is prepared to share decision-making power,” she said.

Written by Shawon Kori, “Bihan” features cinematography by Sahil Rony and Hridoy Sarker. The cast also includes Bappi Ashraf, Nazmul Hasan, Adnan Chowdhury, Priyomoyi Priyo and Sayan Rahman.