Bangladeshi lyricist and entertainment journalist Al Mahmud Manjur (pen name: Mahmud Manjur) has been selected as a jury member at two international film festivals taking place in the United States and Bangladesh within a short span of time.
For the first time in the USA, the New York Bangla Film Festival 2025 will be held this December and Mahmud Manjur has been appointed as one of the jury members for the festival’s preliminary selection board. The event is expected to showcase Bangladeshi films to a wider international audience.
Almost simultaneously, he has also been nominated as a jury member for the International Short Film section of the Bogura International Film Festival 2026, which will take place from 8 to 10 January 2026 in Bogura. Notably, Mahmud Manjur also served on the jury at this festival in 2024.
Reacting to the dual responsibility, Mahmud Manjur said, ‘This is truly a great responsibility. Watching a large number of films, marking them fairly and selecting the most deserving works is a challenging task. But I welcome it with confidence, as I have been closely involved with music and cinema for the last 25 years. I have also attended two of the world’s most prestigious festivals—Cannes Film Festival and Sundance Film Festival—and I believe that experience will help me greatly in my role as a jury member. My goal is simple: to take local cinema to the global stage and bring global cinema closer to the local audience.’
Alongside his international jury roles, Mahmud Manjur has recently drawn critical acclaim for his research-based book ‘Geetijibon’, focusing on the lives and works of 12 legendary Bangladeshi lyricists. The book has been published by Ajab Prokash and is regarded by researchers as one of the first in-depth, life-oriented documentations of lyricists in Bangladesh.
In addition to his two-decade-long career in entertainment journalism, Mahmud Manjur has written over 150 songs. His solo lyric albums include Dhulor Gaan, Prithibir Canvas, and Shotek Bhul. Born on 15 June 1981 in Lakshmipur, he is also the founder of a new music production platform titled ‘Mamageet’, where Bangla and English songs are being produced using a combination of original lyrics and artificial intelligence—an initiative considered a first of its kind in Bangladesh.
For his contributions as a lyricist, he has received multiple national awards, including CJFB, BCRA and AJFB honours, and has also been recognized for his work in journalism. He previously served as the first Office and Finance Secretary of Gitikobi Songho Bangladesh (Lyricists Association of Bangladesh).
With jury responsibilities now spanning both New York and Bogura, Mahmud Manjur’s growing international engagement marks yet another milestone in his multifaceted career bridging journalism, music and cinema.
