Bangladesh opens probe into allegation of plagiarism against award-winning film Brihonnola

The government has launched investigations into the alleged plagiarism in the making of the National Award-winning movie Brihonnola.

The information ministry has formed the committee to be headed by Bangladesh Betar Director General AKM Nesar Uddin Bhuiyan, Information Secretary Martuza Ahmed told bdnews24.com on Thursday.

Brihonnola received the national awards for best movie, best story and best dialogue categories in 2014.

It would be stripped of the awards if the government, that funded the movie, finds the allegation true, the secretary said.

The government had earlier sent a notice to its director Murad Parvez asking for his explanation on the allegation that the germ of Brihonnola is from Syed Mustafa Siraj’s short story ‘Gachhta Bolechhilo’.

The information secretary said Parvez had responded to the ministry’s call for explanation.

He did not disclose the names of the other members of the investigation panel.

West Bengal-based authors Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay and Debesh Roy have written to Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu asking the government to pay Rs 150,000 to the family of Siraj as royalty for the story.

Syed Hasmat Jalal, the secretary to the Syed Mustafa Siraj Academy, has also written to Inu on the matter.

Investigation panel head Bhuiyan could not be reached for comment as he is in China now.