A case has been lodged against the producer, director, and associates of the production of an Eid special tele-fiction titled "Ghotona Shotto," which insensitively addressed children with special needs.
Bashir Al Hossain, 45, a specially-abled person from Gazipur, lodged the case, under the Persons with Disabilities Rights and Protection Act, 2013, with Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Abu Bakar Siddique’s court on Wednesday.
The accused in this case are -- Channel i Managing Director Faridur Reza Sagar, Channel i spokesperson Shykh Seraj, scriptwriter Moinul Shanu, director Rubel Hasan, actors Mehazabien Chowdhury and Afran Nisho, and the CEO of Ghotona Shotto production house Central Music and Video (CMV) Entertainment.
Advocates Rezaul Karim Siddique and Jibanando Chandra Joyonto are representing the plaintiff in this case.
Also Read - 'Ghotona Shotto' infuriates audiences for insensitive portrayal of children with special needs
All the witnesses in this case along with advocate Rezaul Karim Siddique are differently abled individuals.
The tele-fiction was enlisted as part of private television station Channel i’s Eid-ul-Azha special programs, and it was uploaded on CMV’s YouTube channel on July 23.
It tells the story of a couple, played by Afran Nisho as a driver and Mehazabien Chowdhury as a housemaid, who mischievously deceive their service-takers.
Later the tele-fiction showcases that the couple was bestowed with a child with special needs, wondering if their child’s condition is a result of their misdeeds.
After the telecast of the tele-fiction, Amrin Zaman, a mother, first addressed the issue on a Facebook live video.
A large number of audiences have since expressed their disgust on social media over the portrayed message, raising questions about the sensitivity of the makers towards the topic of children with special needs.
Amid the controversy, the fiction was then immediately taken down from CMV's YouTube channel. The cast and crew have also publicly apologized across social media through a joint statement, published on both the actor’s and the director’s official Facebook profiles.
