Published: 10:23 AM, 16 August 2026
‘Bihan’ turns women’s leadership struggles, choices, aspirations into film
The everyday and often invisible barriers that hold women back from leadership are at the heart of ‘Bihan’ (The Beginning), a new fiction film produced by Oxfam in Bangladesh under its ‘Rise & Lead’ initiative.
Directed by Hemanta Sadeeq and featuring Dilruba Hossain Doyel and Nishat Priom in the central roles, the film follows two working women whose professional ambitions are shaped by expectations surrounding behaviour, care responsibilities, confidence and power.
The film will be released on Oxfam in Bangladesh’s social media platforms on August 14 at 8pm, according to a media release issued on Thursday.
Developed under the supervision of Md Sariful Islam and written by Shawon Koiri, the film also features Bappy Ashraf, Nazmul Hasan, Aadnan Chowdhury, Prionmoyi Prio and Sayan Rahman.
The production was undertaken by BoxOffice, with cinematography by Sahil Rony and Hridoy Sarkar. Dhaka Tribune is the media partner of the film.
At the centre of ‘Bihan’ are Shiuli and Rakhi, two women navigating the pressures, expectations and less visible barriers that shape their professional lives.
Through their journeys, the film explores how social conditioning, care responsibilities, workplace realities and self-doubt can influence women’s choices - and what can happen when they begin to recognise their own voice, agency and leadership potential.
"We intentionally moved away from framing empowerment through grand speeches or dramatic cinematic turns," said Hemanta Sadeeq, director of Bihan.
"The power of Bihan lies in its focus on every day, subtle friction - because that is precisely where the real barriers to leadership exist. I believe authentic leadership doesn't always demand an extraordinary catalyst; often, it begins with the quiet realization of one's own voice," he said.
