Case against ‘Hawa’ director withdrawn

The Wildlife Crime Control Unit on Thursday withdrew its case filed against ‘Hawa’ famed director Mejbaur Rahman Sumon.

Dhaka Additional Metropolitan Magistrate Abu Bakar Siddique’s court allowed the withdrawal of the case.

Wildlife inspector Nargis Sultana had filed the case on August 17 with the court of Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Abu Bakar Siddique. The court accepted the statement of the plaintiff and fixed September 29 as the date of the verdict.

The case alleges a violation of the Wildlife Conservation and Security Act 2012. A compensation of Tk 20 crore had also been sought in the case.

Earlier, environment and forest ministry’s Senior Information Officer Dipankar Bar at a press conference said that director Mejbaur Rahman Sumon applied for a compromise settlement as he was unaware of the Wildlife Conservation and Security Act 2012.

A Common Myna (locally known as Shalik) bird was shown captivated in a cage in the blockbuster hit film ‘Hawa’ directed by Mejbaur Rahman Sumon. At one point in the film, the bird was killed and then eaten.

On August 11, a four-member team from the Wildlife Crime Control Unit watched ‘Hawa’ at the Bashundhara City branch of Star Cineplex in Dhaka.

Forest Department’s wildlife and biodiversity conservation officer Rathindra Kumar Biswas later told the press that the Wildlife Conservation and Security Act 2012 was violated in a scene that shows a captivated Shalik.

The star-studded film was shot by ‘Monpura’ famed cinematographer Kamrul Hasan Khasru and stars Chanchal Chowdhury, Nazifa

Tushi, and Sariful Islam Razz, Sumon Anowar, Shohel Mondol, Nasir Uddin Khan, Abdul Jabbar Chowdhury, Mahmud Hasan and Bablu Bose, among others.