The first ever Women of the World (WOW) festival in Dhaka recently ended at the Bangla Academy premises with a concluding ceremony, followed by an energetic concert. Barbara Wickham, OBE, country director of the British Council in Bangladesh, Jude Kelly, Founder of WOW Foundation, Rafiath Rashid Mithila, Head of Early Childhood Development programme in BRAC International, and Captain Afsana Shahin, one of the speakers of WOW Dhaka Rajshahi Chapter, spoke at the concluding ceremony.

The concert put a befitting end to the festival. The theme of the concert, coordinated by Armeen Musa, was a fictional society, run by matriarchy.

The Kathmandu Killers, from Nepal, lifted everyone's mood in the beginning with their punk rock songs.

Armeen's project, The Ghaashphoring Choir, then enchanted the crowd with their fusion-filled renditions of popular Bangla tracks. F Minor, an all-girl band from the hill tracts, singer Sovvota and folk singer Baby Akhter, were equally impressive throughout the entire show.  Elita Karim's song Urey Jetey Chai added an inspiring note to the concert, which ended with the choral performance of the theme song, Shurjo, by composed by Tinu Rashid. All of the performers in the wonderful concert got together to sing this uplifting song, which sent a clear message: impossible is nothing for women of the world.

Photo: Monon Muntaka