Selection round of Closeup1 ends in Dhaka

Contestants eagerly await their turn at BIAM

In the selection rounds held in Dhaka the panel of judges narrowed down the participants and finally awarded only 40 candidates with the 'Yes Card' out of over 29,000 entries to enable them to go for the next round. The expert panel of judges, recognised for their work and contributions in their respective fields, made the shortlist entries. The list of the judges includes Ahmed Imtiaz Bulbul, Fahmida Nabi and Kumar Bishwajit.

Fifty-nine candidates from outside Dhaka (Chittagong, Comilla, Faridpur, Barisal, Khulna, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Bogra, Mymensingh and Sylhet) have already been selected. The 40 selected candidates from Dhaka will take part in the subsequent rounds along with candidates from outside Dhaka, which will be held soon in the capital.

The selected candidates will be groomed by experts. They will provide tips on various aspects, including outfit, hair, diction, stage presence, etiquette, stress management and others.

Talking about this year's Closeup 1, Ronti Das from Chittagong who also participated in last year's talent hunt, says, "There are some new elements introduced in Closeup1 '06. With an innovative selection system, the judges selected the contestants to get the 'Yes Card'. It is an extremely detailed process, which was absent in last year's contest. The selection process is rigorous to ensure that only contestants with music skills of a certain standard make it to the finals."