Once upon a time, a movie show was a festival. Cinema owners in Satkhira had to struggle to handle the overflowing crowd of viewers. There were frequent incidents of vandalism by viewers who did not get tickets. But now the picture is reversed. Shows are being held with only a few viewers. Except for the traditional Laboni cinema hall in the district, all of them have closed today.

Jardisur Rahman, the manager of Laboni Cinema Hall in Satkhira, said in a disappointed voice:
"Once upon a time, people from villages used to come to watch movies in droves. But now people don't come to the theaters anymore. We have to run shows with two or four people. Smartphones and the internet have taken away our audience."

There were once 14 cinema halls in the district. Among them, Lakshmi and Sundarban in Shyamnagar, Jackie in Kaliganj, Light House and Ichamati in Debhata, Jonaki and Palash in Kalaroa, Sonali in Asashuni, Challenge and Mamun in Patkelghata, and Falguni in Talar—all of them are now a thing of the past. Recently, Sangeeta Cinema Hall in Satkhira has also closed.

There are multiple reasons behind the closure of cinema halls. First the introduction of tape cassettes, then the expansion of Dish Line, and finally the invasion of the internet and smartphones have destroyed cinema halls. Added to this are the lack of improvement in the quality of cinema in the country, the busyness of the audience, the weak infrastructure of the halls, and insecurity.
The bomb attacks on Satkhira's Roxy Cinema Hall and the Gurpukur Fair circus in 2002 also played a major role in turning away viewers.

The oldest and most traditional Laboni Cinema Hall in Satkhira was started in 1913. Binoy Krishna Ghosh, a relative of the then landlord Pran Nath Roy Chowdhury, donated the land in the 29th century for cultural activities. A darbar hall was built there, where plays and cultural programs were held regularly. In the sixties, Mozammel Haque started weekly cinema screenings. After independence, it began its full journey under the name 'Laboni Cinema Hall'.

Currently, the old movie 'Dam Care' is playing there. The number of viewers is five in total. There are no young people among them. Most of them are elderly people or rickshaw-van drivers.

Manager Zardisur Rahman said—
"Who has time to sit and watch a movie for three hours these days? People get everything on their smartphones. It costs a lot to bring good movies, but there are no viewers. Sometimes there is a crowd during Eid or festivals, but after a day or two, it's empty again."

Now a new debate is going on around Laboni Hall. A section of the District Cultural Council wants to demolish the building and build a commercial market there. On the other hand, culture-minded people say that it should not be demolished, but a complete cultural complex should be built. There will be theater, recitals, dance, a modern cineplex and a community center.

Abul Kalam Azad, member secretary of the Satkhira Citizens' Committee, said—
"Binay Krishna Ghosh gave this land for cultural activities. The history of drama, cinema and culture will be closed forever in the Market Hall. Rather, the Complex Hall will provide cultural development along with modern entertainment."

Where once cinema halls were the heart of people's entertainment, smartphones and the internet have now taken over that place. Satkhira's cinema halls have had to pay the price for not being able to keep up with the times. Yet, Laboni Cinema Hall is the last beacon of hope. Its future depends on whether it will be demolished and a commercial market will be built, or a full-fledged cultural complex will be built.