3rd Suchitra Sen Film Festival concludes in Pabna

Information Minister Abul Kalam Azad (4-L) with other guests at the programme.Photo: STAR

The 3rd Suchitra Sen Film Festival concluded in Pabna on Monday night with noted personalities vowing to free the ancestral house of the screen legend from unjust occupation. Information Minister Abul Kalam Azad, as the chief guest on the concluding day of the festival, highlighted the government's steps to promote the film industry so that it could produce more quality films.
“The present government is determined to restore the image of our film industry. We have taken initiatives to promote quality film productions,” said Azad.
The minister said that the present government has plans to set up a 'Film City' that would enable the production of more quality films. Towards that end the government has taken steps to streamline the Film Development Corporation (FDC), he added.
“We are trying to update FDC. We have already bought machinery valued at Taka 60 crore for the corporation. We will provide more support to introduce a film city for producing quality films,” asserted Azad.
President of the Suchitra Sen Sen Smrity Shangrakhhan Parishad, Pabna, Md. Saidul Haque Chunnu, chaired the concluding programme held at the Pabna Town Hall premises. Veteran film actors Alamgir and Sujata spoke as special guests on the occasion.
“Pabna people should take pride as Suchitra Sen, the screen legend of Bangla films, is originally from this town. Her stellar performances still linger in the hearts of the people,” said Alamgir.
A nostalgic Alamgir said, “Although Suchitra Sen continues to stay out of the limelight, I was lucky to meet her three consecutive times in the '90s. Sen loved Bangladesh and harboured fond memories of Bangladesh when I met her.”
Actress Sujata said that there were few screen pairings that could compare with the Uttam-Suchitra duo.
Among others, lawmaker of Pabna-4 constituency, Samsur Rahman Sharif; veteran educationist Professor Md. Nurunnabi; Deputy Commissioner of Pabna, Md. Mostafizur Rahman; Pabna Police Superintendent Jahangir Hossain Matobbar; secretary, Suchitra Sen Smirty Shangrakhhan Parishad, Pabna, Dr. Ram Dulal Bhoumik and secretary, Ekushey Boi Mela Udjapan Parishad, Pabna, Zakir Hossain, spoke on the occasion.
The speakers said that the ancestral house of Sen at Gopalpur village was illegally occupied by an institution. Pabna residents have taken up cudgels since 2009 to free the house from the illegal occupant, but the matter was still unresolved in the courts. They said that the residents of Pabna had demanded that an archive be set up at the ancestral house of Sen once it was freed from the illegal occupants. The third film festival was a platform to demand the restoration of Sen's ancestral home, they told Azad at the concluding programme.
Abul Kalam Azad said, “I will discuss the matter with the attorney general and see how the problem could be resolved.” The minister also ordered the district administration to keep a close eye on the historic house so that the occupiers did not destroy it.
Sen's film “Ekti Raat” was screened at the concluding programme.