Make educational films for children, says PM Hasina

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged filmmakers to make movies that inspire children to build a better future for themselves.

The prime minister made the call while virtually addressing the handover ceremony of the National Film Awards for 2019 on Sunday.

"A film can help a child envision their life and help prepare themselves for the future and grow. With that in mind, we must focus on making films for children that can be educational for them," she said.

The prime minister also called for more family-friendly movies to help bring people back to the cinema halls.

The government is committed to preserving the film industry of Bangladesh, according to the prime minister. While the advent of the television age left the film industry reeling at one point, the culture of going to the cinema is now returning once again, she noted.

"Not only in Bangladesh, but people around the world are also going back to the cinema halls. We have to take measures to increase the number of cinema halls."

Hasina also expressed her gratitude to the people involved in the film industry for their contributions to the awareness campaigns initiated by the government against the coronavirus pandemic.

Expressing sorrow for not being able to hand over the prizes in person, the prime minister said, "My support towards the film industry will never end as the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) was founded by my father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman."