The quiet barriers that shape women’s careers, choices and ambitions take centre stage in Bihan (The Beginning), a new fiction film produced by Oxfam in Bangladesh under its ‘Rise & Lead’ initiative.
Directed by Hemanta Sadeeq, the film stars Dilruba Hossain Doyel and Nishat Priom as two working women navigating expectations around behaviour, care responsibilities, confidence and power. Oxfam in Bangladesh will release the film on its social media platforms on 14 August at 8pm, according to a media release issued on Thursday.
Developed under the supervision of Md Sariful Islam and written by Shawon Koiri, Bihan also features Bappy Ashraf, Nazmul Hasan, Aadnan Chowdhury, Prionmoyi Prio and Sayan Rahman. BoxOffice produced the film, with cinematography by Sahil Rony and Hridoy Sarkar. Dhaka Tribune is its media partner.
The story follows Shiuli and Rakhi as they confront workplace pressures, social conditioning, care responsibilities and self-doubt. Their experiences gradually lead them to recognise their own voices, agency and leadership potential.
“We intentionally moved away from framing empowerment through grand speeches or dramatic cinematic turns,” said Sadeeq. “The power of Bihan lies in its focus on everyday, subtle friction — because that is precisely where the real barriers to leadership exist.”
He added that authentic leadership does not always require an extraordinary catalyst. It can begin with the quiet realisation of one’s own voice.
The film uses naturalistic performances and familiar middle-class urban settings. Mirrors and reflections recur as symbols of self-discovery, while the final image of a green traffic signal represents movement, possibility and a new beginning.
Doyel said she was drawn to the story because its characters and experiences feel familiar.
“What attracted me to the story is how recognisable these women are. They are capable and responsible, yet they are constantly negotiating expectations at work, at home and within themselves,” she said.
“Bihan is about that moment when a woman begins to see her own strength differently. I encourage everyone to watch the film,” she added.
Bihan is the latest public-facing project under Rise & Lead, Oxfam’s initiative to advance women’s leadership by addressing barriers at individual, community, workplace and structural levels.
Mahmuda Sultana, Programme Director of Oxfam in Bangladesh, said women’s leadership cannot depend solely on women becoming more confident or ambitious.
“Institutions, workplaces and families must also change,” she said. “We need systems that recognise women’s capabilities, redistribute care responsibilities, create fair opportunities and, most importantly, are prepared to share decision-making power.”
Through Shiuli and Rakhi’s journeys, Bihan connects the broader leadership debate with everyday realities at home, in workplaces and within institutions. The film seeks to spark discussion on what must change so women can not only aspire to leadership but also exercise it.
