Cinema owners consider nationwide shutdown to press import demands

Film imports are being allowed under the existing policy, with no barriers, says a senior official of the information ministry

The Bangladesh Film Exhibitors’ Association is preparing to protest against ongoing restrictions on cinema imports and demand increased government subsidies.

They have warned that if their demands are not met, they will shut down all movie theatres nationwide.

Sudipta Kumar Das, an advisor to the organisation, told Glitz that they are organising a discussion on Feb 22 to take steps towards addressing the “crisis” in the film industry.

This meeting will bring together cinema hall owners, producers, distributors, directors, film organisations, and technicians to discuss the ongoing challenges and present their demands.

“We are gathering stakeholders from all areas of the film industry,” Sudipta said. “We will listen to everyone, and then a decision will be made.

“A deadline will be set until Eid-ul-Fitr. If no solution is found, cinemas are already shutting down, and those still running may also close all at once."

He claims that released films are failing to attract audiences to theatres.

"Last year, we managed to do business only with the film ‘Toofan’. ‘Dorod’ did not perform as expected, but it made some profit."

"None of the films released before or after had the appeal to draw audiences or even run for a week. Some films fail to sell even 100 tickets. This situation cannot continue—we cannot survive like this.

He also pointed out that cinema import regulations are hampering the efforts of importers, distributors, and cinema hall owners.

"The policy allows the import of 10 films per year, but even that quota is not being fulfilled. Let us at least meet this quota.”

Sudipta continued, “We tried hard to bring in ‘Pushpa 2’, which had generated a lot of public interest.

“However, Cultural Affairs Advisor Mostafa Sarwar Farooki openly vetoed the import, citing concerns over Indian aggression."

According to him, the responsible members of the association had previously attempted to meet with the government advisors to discuss the issues affecting the film industry, but they were denied permission.

“If the current government is against the film industry and supports halting cinema screenings, then we will close down our theatres,” Sudipta said. “Why should we continue to pay electricity bills and our staff salaries out of our own pockets?

“This will lead to a massive crisis, and we will raise these concerns during our discussions.”

When asked about the topics to be discussed at the upcoming meeting, the Exhibitors’ Association advisor outlined a few key points.

"We want to import films that can help keep the halls running in between the release of big films.

"In terms of government funding, we propose grants for four to five films that highlight cultural heritage and an increase in subsidies for commercial films.

“In addition, we seek interest-free loans for hall renovations and the revival of incentives or benefits that were available at the [Film Development Corporation] in the 1990s. These are the demands we intend to present."

In the past, Hollywood or English-language films were regularly imported into Bangladesh, while Hindi-language films were banned.

However, after protests from theatre owners, the government allowed Indian films to be screened in 2023.

Indian films have been imported into Bangladesh since 2004 under the South Asian Free Trade Area, or SAFTA, agreement, which permits countries within the region to trade freely in the film industry.

According to the agreement, when one country exports a film, it must import another film in return.

In 2023, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting granted permission to import 10 subcontinental films per year under five conditions:

• Only legally registered film producers and distributors in Bangladesh will be allowed to import subcontinental films.

• Subcontinental language films will be allowed for import on an experimental basis, with subtitles, and only for two years in exchange for exports.

• In the first year, 10 films will be allowed for import in exchange for exports, with 10 subcontinental films released in Bangladesh annually.

• Imported subcontinental films must be approved by the Bangladesh Film Censor Board, or BFCB, before being screened.

• No subcontinental language films can be screened during the weeks of Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Azha, and Durga Puja in Bangladesh.

Since the power change, only one Indian film—"Stree 2”, starring Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao—was imported in October.

In return, Bangladesh’s "Prohelika" was sent to India.

The Film Exhibitors' Association claims that after this, they sought permission to import several more films but were obstructed by the government, citing concerns over the "Indian film aggression."

Instead, there is an opportunity to import Pakistani films. However, as Bangladeshi films are not screened in Pakistan, they are unwilling to proceed with the imports.

In addition, due to the conditions of the SAFTA agreement, Pakistani films cannot be imported either, according to the association.

Attempts were made to contact Advisor Farooki multiple times regarding the association's allegations, but he did not answer the calls.

Upon reaching out to the ministry, it was learned that he is currently abroad.

Later, when Farooki was sent a message on WhatsApp, he replied: "This is not under the jurisdiction of the cultural affairs ministry."

He advised contacting the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. However, the ministry's Advisor Nahid Islam also did not answer calls.

When asked about the allegations made by the hall owners' association, Farooki did not provide any further response.

For many years, stakeholders in the Bangladeshi film industry have been divided on the issue of foreign film imports, particularly Indian cinema.

One group of directors, producers, and actors believes that allowing Indian films into the market will harm the local film industry.

Meanwhile, cinema hall owners argue that the release of Bollywood films is necessary to revive struggling theatres across the country.

According to the Bangladesh Film Exhibitors' Association, despite the closure of numerous theatres across the country, around 150 cinemas are still in operation.

These theatres employ nearly 1,500 workers, while around 50,000 people—including producers, directors, actors, and technicians—are directly involved in the film industry.

However, due to a lack of audience turnout, even the surviving theatres are at risk of shutting down.

Rokonuzzaman Eunus, the association’s legal affairs secretary and owner of Bogura’s Madhuban Cineplex, told bdnews24.com that hall owners have been trying to meet Advisor Nahid for nearly six months.

"The file on film imports has been left unattended. Hall owners are suffering losses due to the lack of quality films. How long can we continue incurring losses?

“That’s why we have decided to announce the closure of all cinema halls across the country after Eid through a press conference on Feb 22. Some owners are considering shutting down even before Ramadan,” he said.

Sohel Ahmed, owner of Prithibi Cinema Hall in Joypurhat, said: "Despite investing millions to keep our halls open, audiences are not coming. What’s the point of keeping them running? The government is also not allowing us to import good films.

“We get only 10 to 12 viewers per show, which doesn’t even cover the staff’s food expenses."

Md Helal, owner of Purbasha Cinema Hall in Santahar, echoed the concerns.

He said, "There are no good films, so the halls are empty. We are paying staff salaries despite having no business. Local productions are not doing well, and we are not allowed to import films either.

“Instead of incurring losses, I am considering shutting down my hall completely before Eid.”

When asked about the issue, a senior official at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting told Glitz: “There are no restrictions, and no film is being blocked. Everything is proceeding smoothly as per the policy.

“If anyone faces specific obstacles, they can file a written complaint. But as per our country’s film import policy, anyone can bring in foreign films.

“Recently, we hosted a festival where a large number of foreign films were screened. Nothing is being obstructed."

Hall owners also claimed that they have repeatedly tried to meet the advisor to discuss the crisis but have been unsuccessful.

However, the ministry official dismissed the allegation as “untrue”.

"The ministry is very open. We hold at least four to five meetings every Tuesday and Wednesday each month with distributors and cinema hall owners. There are extensive discussions.

“Nothing is restricted. I believe these complaints are not accurate," he said.

He insisted that efforts are being made to improve the industry.

"We have already held two or three meetings with the Film Exhibitors' Association. The advisors are working tirelessly on film industry development, and different policies are being revised. Everything is running in a fair and unrestricted manner.

“The ministry is completely free of control now. For the last 16 years, there were different levels of control, but now we see only positive changes,” he concluded.