Ban on Indian films won't go

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday directed the commerce ministry to scrap its recent decision to withdraw the ban on import and display of films from India and other South Asian countries.
She expressed dissatisfaction over the commerce ministry's unilateral decision to lift the ban.
Several ministers echoed the PM's views at a regular cabinet meeting chaired by her at the Secretariat, meeting sources said.
The commerce ministry decided to lift the ban apparently to revitalise the local film industry.
“A ministry can't take such a nationally important decision unilaterally. Only the cabinet can go for this,” a minister told The Daily Star preferring not to be named.
The premier was informed that more than 600 movie houses across the country have remained closed for months not because of the ban on import and display of movies from South Asian countries. Quality local films could be displayed at those halls, said sources who attended the meeting.
She was also told that if the ban is withdrawn, the local film industry might face a disaster.
"So, the decision of allowing import and display of South Asian films has to be cancelled,” the premier was quoted by a cabinet member as saying.
Another minister noted that the commerce ministry decision might add fuel to the BNP-led opposition camp's possible anti-government and anti-Indian campaign.
Following the ministry's decision, producers, artistes and film industry people staged demonstrations demanding cancellation of it. Prior to yesterday's cabinet meeting, some noted actors and actresses talked to high officials at the Prime Minister's Office urging them to bring to the PM's attention the need to scrap the decision.
Later, the prime minister's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad conveyed to them the PM's decision that the government would not do anything that could harm the local film industry as well as the artistes.