Though pirated Bollywood DVDs thrive on the black market, Bangladesh has abandoned an attempt to lift a ban on screening of Indian films in cinemas following protest by local industry.
Though pirated Bollywood DVDs thrive on the black market, Bangladesh has abandoned an attempt to lift a ban on screening of Indian films in cinemas following protest by local industry.
The authorities reimposed the ban, just three days after lifting almost a four-decade freeze on Bollywood movies. The decision came following directions from the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, according to a report published in The Daily Star.
The paper claimed that the Premier expressed dissatisfaction over the commerce ministry's unilateral decision to lift the ban. The ban had been lifted as cinema in Bangladesh was witnessing an unprecedented slide with a number of movie halls shrinking from about 1,900 in 2000 to mere 600 in 2010, most of them dishing out low budgeted local films and some B-grade Hollywood movies.
But the decision by the Commerce Ministry drew a protest by local actors, directors and musicians who claimed that Bollywood would swamp their fledgling homegrown industry.
The u-turn by the Commerce Ministry came after the protest, with an announcement saying, "The ministry can't take such a nationally important decision unilaterally. Only the cabinet can decide this." Hasina, the paper said was told if the ban is withdrawn, the local film industry might face a disaster.
"So, the decision of allowing import and display of South Asian films has to be cancelled," the Premier was quoted by a cabinet member as saying.
Another minister noted that the commerce ministry decision might add fuel to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led opposition camp's possible anti-government and anti-Indian campaign.
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