The steady decline of single-screen cinemas in the capital and elsewhere across the country marks a significant shift in the access of people to entertainment, though moviegoing has historically been a primary means of mass entertainment.

According to researchers and industry insiders, there were once 51 movie theatres in the Dhaka Metropolitan Area, but now only 14 remain operational — with only seven single-screen movie houses remaining in the city.

‘Dhaka has now only seven single-screen cinema halls remaining,’ said Mia Alauddin, senior vice-president of the Bangladesh Film Exhibitors’ Association.

‘Madhumita, Geet-Sangeet, Ananda-Chhanda, Sainik Club, BGB Auditorium, and New Gulshan are still operating regularly, he said, adding that they, too, occasionally halt screenings when enough new films aren’t there for the general audience.

Mia Alauddin said that lack of popular movies creates financial losses for cinema halls, eventually forcing such halls to close permanently.

Film movement activist and researcher Md Fokhrul Alam Shohag stated that during the industry’s peak in the mid-1990s, the total number of cinema halls in Bangladesh reached more than 1,450.

‘The industry started facing a massive collapse in 2000, with the number of active single-screen theatres rapidly plummeting by over 95 percent,’ Shohag noted.

‘By 2010, the count dropped to 742 and the figure has now fallen to nearly 200, including seasonal halls and multiplexes.’ He pointed out that more than 30 districts now have no cinema halls at all, significantly impacting the outdoor entertainment options for the general people, including students and low-income individuals.

‘In place of 51 cinema halls across the Dhaka Metropolitan Area once, only 14 now are operational. Among them, only seven are single-screen halls while the population of Dhaka is increasing by the day,’ he said.

The number of cinema halls, Shohag went on to mention, in districts surrounding Dhaka has, too, decreased, despite rapid industrialisation in these districts and a growing population of workers migrating to those from across the country.

Md Salim Mia, the ticket counter manager of Azad Cinema on Johnson Road in Old Dhaka, stated that the cinema audience had dwindled due to a lack of quality films.

He noted that since the release of Borbaad in 2025 no other film has managed to attract a large crowd.

He explained that most of Dhaka cinema halls were historically located near densely populated areas such as Gabtoli, Shyamoli, Mohakhali, Motijhil, Gulistan, Sadarghat, Bangshal, Chittagong Road, Jatrabari, Jurain, and Azimpur.

‘However, only a few are operating,’ he said, adding that on a recent Thursday they sold only Tk 2,000 worth of tickets — not even enough to cover the hall’s utility bills.

Despite other forms of entertainment available now, Salim noted that people still love movie-going with family and friends.

However, he explained, most films today do not portray life-oriented stories — instead they peddle violence and nudity, which people can easily find on the internet.

Ashraf, a gatekeeper at the Madhumita cinema hall, said that whenever a good film is released, people from all walks of life still visit the theater. ‘

Following the mass uprising and the national polls, this year’s Eid films did not attract large audiences, which is a worrying sign, he further said.

Nuruzzaman, a rickshaw puller hailing from Gazipur who works in Dhaka, watches at least one movie once a week.

‘In Gazipur, ticket prices are usually between Tk 50 and Tk120, while in Dhaka, they range from Tk 70 to Tk150,’ he said, adding that he never watched a film at a multiplex due to high ticket prices.

Abul Kashem, a tea-stall owner near the former Parbat Cinema Hall at Gabtoli, shared his disappointment.

‘Parbat closed down permanently about five years ago and the building was demolished five months ago. The place is now a vegetable market, but our memories of watching movies at the hall are still fresh,’ he reminisced.

Now he pays Tk10 at a cyber café to download a movie into his phone. ‘It has made watching movies easier but has drastically reduced the quality time I used to spend with my family and friends at the hall,’ he sighed.

Independent filmmaker Anto Azad noted that ticket prices at multiplexes are beyond the means of ordinary or low-income people.

‘Notable theaters like Balaka near New Market, which offered students affordable prices, have been closed for years,’ he said, adding that the poor maintenance and environment of the remaining single-screen halls are also a major reason for dwindling audiences.

He suggested that the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy and the Film Archive could help to this end by regularly screening films for the general public at affordable rates.

Filmmaker Jahir Raihan added that rising production and maintenance costs, combined with a lack of popular films, have crippled the industry.

‘We need alternative initiatives for mass entertainment while the government should ensure a healthy cultural atmosphere for the people,’ he observed.

SM Imran Hossain, assistant professor at the Department of Television, Film, and Photography at Dhaka University, echoed these sentiments.

‘The Balaka cinema was once a primary hub for university students. Compared to multiplexes, single-screen prices are affordable for students. While multiplexes are increasing, single screens are vanishing and may disappear entirely within a few years,’ he cautioned, adding that a steady supply of quality movies is essential for their survival.