Filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farooki has called for the abolition of the Bangladesh Film Censor Board, noting national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam's famous line, “Gahi sammyer gaan, manusher cheye boro kichhu nai.”
Farooki's call on Sunday comes in response to ongoing issues with the board, which has been criticized for delaying and obstructing numerous films, including Farooki’s own "Saturday Afternoon."
The director presented his arguments for eliminating the censor board altogether.
He criticized the current system, which he believes allows any government in power to block films at will.
Farooki proposed the introduction of a film rating system instead, which would classify films for different audiences without censorship.
In his social media statement, Farooki posed several provocative questions to illustrate his point.
He asked whether the public wants films about controversial topics such as the BDR mutiny, post-liberation abuses by security forces, or political figures' controversial actions.
He argued that if the censorship board remains, it will continue suppressing critical and diverse storytelling.
Farooki’s comments also touched on past interactions with former state minister for information and broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat.
He recalled a meeting where Arafat agreed with the filmmakers’ concerns about censorship but ultimately did not act to reform the system.
Farooki criticized this lack of follow-through and called for the removal of outdated practices and the inclusion of sensible individuals in decision-making committees.
He also expressed concerns about the censorship of streaming platforms, urging the government to abandon such regulations and instead focus on creating a more open and supportive environment for filmmakers.