Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon said on Saturday that the current government wants to rebuild the state and society through decisions based on national consensus involving patriotic citizens and experts.
He made the remarks as chief guest at the opening ceremony of the National Film Society Conference 2026, organized by the Bangladesh Federation of Film Societies at the Bangladesh Film Archive auditorium in Agargaon.
Swapon said the country has witnessed both glory and catastrophe in its 55-year history.
“With the wisdom gained from those experiences of glory and adversity, we want to connect with the knowledge of experts,” he said.
He said quality production cannot be ensured without effective exchange of views and intellectual engagement with experts in film and related fields.
The minister said cinema is a powerful medium for social change and that the state must stand beside those who joined the film movement out of passion, patriotism and a desire for human welfare—not to become wealthy.
He also said the government would work to create the maximum possible opportunities for filmmakers within the framework of the state and the law.
Swapon said there had been painful experiences in the past of film being turned into a propaganda tool for a particular group under appealing rhetoric. He said those who serve a group or ideology cannot think freely.
He urged those concerned to transform the film society movement into an independent and free-thinking force for social change rather than a tool controlled by hidden interests.
Noted art critic and film analyst Moinuddin Khaled received a lifetime achievement award for his contribution to the film society movement.
Zahirul Islam Kochi, president of the Bangladesh Federation of Film Societies, presided over the program, while M Javed Iqbal, director general of the Bangladesh Film Archive, spoke as special guest.
Representatives from film societies across the country, filmmakers and researchers also attended the conference.
