Demand to stop grants for commercial films "selfish" and "conspiratory", remark noted film organisations

Yesterday, many of the country's artists and directors came forward to strongly protest the recent demands made by a few producers to stop government grants to commercial films. This was in response to a protest on Monday, where a group of producers and directors had demanded for the government to stop giving grants to commercial movies. 

The participants of yesterday's protests started that the notion to stop grants for commercial movies was a conspiracy to a senseless and selfish act that would destroy the Bangladeshi film industry.   A joint council of film artistes, directors, producers, editors and filmgoers' associations released this statement. 

Their statement, which was signed on Wednesday, read: "On Monday, July 4, in the capital's Shahbagh, some filmmakers had demanded that government grants to commercial films should be stopped. We, in no way, support this claim and believe that it is one that will be detrimental to our film industry. This is a conspiracy against the progress our film industry has made under the leadership of our Honourable Prime Minister. We pray that justice is brought to these hypocrites of our cinema industry." 

Ilias Kanchan, President of the Bangladesh Film Artists Association, said, "We as artists are opposed to those who try and stop the films that people in the country go to the halls to see. We strongly condemn and protest such selfish demands made by these people." 

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Filmmakers protest government grants for commercial films

Sohanur Rahman Sohan, president of the Bangladesh Film Directors Association and leader of the Combined Film Council, said that the grants are given by a committee that is made up of filmmakers and intellectuals, who follow the government's policies on grants. "The Combined Film Council will not hesitate to give its blood to fight for the film industry which our government is trying to protect," he said. 

Khorshed Alam Khoshru, former president of the Bangladesh Film Producers Association, said that the statements of these agitators were baseless, motivated and selfish. "We strongly protest against this kind of malpractice," he added. 

"Shifting donations to art films instead of commercial films would be harmful for the general public. It would be as if we were committing fraud against them," said Sudip Kumar Das, Chief Advisor to the Exhibitors' Association, adding, "Ever since art films were receiving lakhs of takas in government grants, we have been saying that grants should also be given to those commercial films which people no longer come to the halls to see."

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19 films receive government grant

The joint statement by Combined Film Council was also signed by Khorshed Alam Khoshru, Abdul Latif Bachchu, President of the Bangladesh Film Consumers Association, and Abu Musa Debu, President of the Film Editors Guild.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has provided grants to 57 full-length films, as well as 25 short films, which also includes art films, docudramas and documentaries, in the last three years. The number of grants in the last three years has been significantly higher than at any other time in history.