On Wednesday the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced that a new film censor board committee would be formed, following a reshuffle of its controversial members.
The decision comes as part of recommendations from a national advisory committee and amidst significant changes within the government.
Since the fall of the previous administration on August 5, the censor board has been undergoing a review. The former committee, which last issued a certificate for Tanvir Hasan's "Madhyobitto" on July 28, has halted all Bengali film screenings.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is expected to issue directives for the board's restructuring within the next week. An unnamed source at the censor board revealed this information.
Mohammad Nahid Islam, the interim government's adviser for posts, telecommunications, and information technology, hinted at the upcoming changes during a meeting with ministry officials.
He emphasised the need to revamp both the censor board and the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) for the betterment of the film industry.
Kazi Hayat, a member of the previous censor board, expressed uncertainty about the timing of the restructuring. He stated that no films had been reviewed since "Madhyobitto" and that he hadn't received formal notification of any changes. However, he acknowledged that a restructuring was likely given the broader government changes.
Abdul Jalil, the vice chairman of the censor board, confirmed that the interim government's adviser and secretary had discussed the necessity of reconfiguring the board and the FDC to advance the film industry.
He mentioned that a directive for the restructuring would emerge from these discussions but that the progress remained unclear.
The censor board has not reviewed any new films since the interim government took over. The only pending submission is Biplob Haider's "Bhoyal", which was filed on August 1.
Khorshed Alam, another board member, stated that the board would not resume film screenings until the new committee was in place.
He speculated that several young, popular directors might be included in the new line-up, bringing a fresh perspective to the board.
