The High Court has issued a six-month ban on the screening of “Rana Plaza,” a film on RMG worker Reshma Begum who was buried alive under the rubble of Rana Plaza for 17 days before rescue workers found her.
Justice Naima Haider and Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam issued the order yesterday after hearing a contempt of court petition filed by Bangladesh National Garment Workers Employees League chief Sirajul Islam on August 20.
The court also stayed the censor board’s clearance for the film for six months and issued a ruling asking why the censor board’s approval should not be withdrawn.
The court asked the information secretary, censor board chairman and managing director, and the film’s producer to respond to the ruling within four weeks.
Awami League lawmaker Barrister Fazle Noor Taposh argued for the petitioner, while Deputy Attorney General Mokhlesur Rahman stood for the state.
On July 17, the High Court directed the authorities concerned to delete some scenes from the film saying they were too graphic and may have detrimental effects on public sentiment. The court also instructed to remove Reshma’s name from the story.
However, the censor board did not follow the High Court’s directives properly and cut only a few minutes of scenes from the film, said the deputy attorney general.
According to Bangladesh Censorship of Films Rules, 1977, horrifying scenes and use of TV footages and names of law enforcement agencies in a film are prohibited.
Citing those clauses, petitioner Sirajul Islam said if screened, the film would make a negative impact on people both home and abroad. He said the RMG workers would be frightened by the film, and it could also damage the country’s RMG industry.
The 137-minute film, produced by Shamim Aktar and directed by Nazrul Islam Khan, was cleared for release by Bangladesh Film Censor Board on July 16.
The movie was scheduled to be released on September 4.