Gazipur’s Ulka cinema hall to close in November amid mounting losses

Ulka, a long-running single-screen cinema hall at Gazipur Chowrasta, will shut down permanently in November as falling audience numbers, rising electricity bills and mounting losses make it increasingly difficult to sustain operations.

Mohammad Rafiq Uddin, managing director of Ulka, confirmed the decision, saying ticket sales from currently screening films are no longer enough to cover even the hall’s electricity bills.

“The hall is struggling to survive. We are incurring losses continuously. The films currently screening cannot even cover the electricity bill,” he said.

Rafiq Uddin said films with strong stories and established stars continue to attract audiences, but releases concentrated around the two Eid festivals are insufficient to sustain single-screen cinemas throughout the year. He cited audience interest in films starring Shakib Khan, suggesting that more releases featuring the actor outside the Eid seasons could help struggling cinemas.

Unusually high electricity bills have added to Ulka’s financial pressure. Audience numbers have also fallen sharply, with some screenings attracting only a handful of people. The resulting revenue shortfall has made it difficult to cover staff salaries and routine operating expenses.

The closure comes as Kamruzzaman’s Sneher Bondhon, starring Joy Chowdhury and Mou Khan, is being screened at the hall. The film opened in 14 cinemas on 16 October. Despite a promotional campaign that included appearances on an open-roof bus in the capital, the film has reportedly struggled to attract audiences.

Gazipur, an industrial district with a large working population, has seen its cinema-going options decline as halls have closed over the years. Four cinemas were operating in the district around a year to a year and a half ago.

Following Ulka’s closure, only Barsha and Jhumur cinemas are expected to remain open in Gazipur. Both are reportedly facing financial difficulties, raising further concerns about the future of the district’s remaining single-screen cinemas and access to relatively inexpensive big-screen entertainment.