‘The desire is there, the sigh is there, but there’s no bowl of milk!’— this old proverb from the Noakhali (Bangladesh) region aptly sums up the current state of Bangladeshi cinema. Once upon a time, there were eager audiences and hundreds of movie theaters. But in the 2000s, films drowned in vulgarity, losing their soul and pushing away the middle-class audience. The industry became rooted in lower-income demographics and spiraled downward.
In the late 1990s, Bangladesh had nearly 1,500 cinema halls. That number has now shrunk to around 50, some say even fewer.
Cinema is considered the most significant artistic canvas of a nation. That such a medium is in dire straits in Bangladesh is no longer newsworthy— it is an accepted tragedy.
Even after shedding its vulgar image by the end of the 2000s and producing quality films, the industry faced a major crisis: audiences were no longer returning to the theaters. In the meantime, they had shifted their attention to dish antenna TV channels. Old films were booming on television while movie halls stood empty. Local tea stalls drew larger crowds around TVs than cinemas did for new releases.
From around 2010 to 2020, theater closures accelerated. Hall owners blamed a lack of audience. Viewers complained about poor film quality and even worse theater conditions.
Interestingly, over the past few years, Bangladeshi films have improved significantly in quality. Yet the industry remains flatlined. Take the last two Eid festivals as an example — they featured the strongest lineups of films in two decades. Audiences returned in droves, and many theaters enjoyed full houses for weeks.
But shockingly, not a single film managed to recoup its investment. Why? Because even if a film scores top marks, there are hardly any classrooms — or in this case, cinema halls — left to host it.
According to the Bangladesh Film Exhibitors Association, during Eid seasons, there are at best 130 to 150 operational halls. For the rest of the year, the number falls to about 50–55, and some reports say as few as 35–40. Half of these run old or low-quality films, and the facilities are substandard. Outside of Eid, most of these halls function as storage spaces or are used for unrelated businesses.
Frustration runs deep among both filmmakers and audiences. There's quality cinema, and there is a willing audience — but there's no infrastructure to bring them together.
Are hall owners to blame? Some argue yes. Many owners insist that outside of Eid, it's financially suicidal to operate a theater. They've bled money for years trying to keep theaters open with little to no return.
But why are good films only released during Eid? Why this mad rush of all types of films into two festive periods? Ironically, even smaller films now struggle for screen time during Eid despite large audiences.
Zahid Hasan Abhi, head of successful distributor-producer outfit The Abhi Kathachitra, says: "Why only Eid? That's my question too. We used to release films year-round, with Eid reserved for a big Shakib Khan release. There was a belief that no film other than his would succeed during Eid. 'Poran' changed that. It proved that Eid hits are possible without Shakib. Since then, more films have joined the Eid race. Yes, the audience turns out massively during Eid. But I believe this trend must change. We need 12 months of releases to revive cinema halls."
Bangladesh, with a population of 200 million, has seen a dramatic fall in cinema hall numbers over the past three decades. From 1,500 to about 50, and among those, perhaps only 10 can be considered technically sound.
During the last Eid-ul-Azha, six films were released: "Tandob," "Insaaf," "Neel Chakra," "Utsob," "Esha Murder: Kormofol" and "Togor". Each earned praise, but limited hall access led most to financial failure. For instance, "Tandob" secured 132 halls, while "Insaaf" got just 16 (9 multiplexes with 7 single-screen).
The problem isn't demand. It's capacity. If the number of quality halls doubled, each film could likely break even. Audiences exist but are denied access.
Director Sanjoy Somadder of "Insaaf" tells: "If we had 300 halls, the picture would've been very different. But even now, most existing halls have poor projection quality. That disappoints both viewers and filmmakers."
Currently, Bangladesh has 9 multiplexes and 15 cineplexes. These are the only venues offering a reasonable viewing experience. The rest suffer from a lack of projection, sound, seating or even working air conditioning.
Still, the only consistent bright spot in the last decade has been Star Cineplex, Bangladesh’s leading multiplex chain. Operating six branches in Dhaka and one in Chattogram, the company is now expanding to Bogra and Narayanganj.
senior marketing official of Star Cineplex Mesbah Uddin Ahmed says: "In my experience, people genuinely want to watch good films— but they also want a comfortable environment to enjoy them. That’s what we’ve focused on since the beginning. Of course, if quality films are lacking or a crisis like COVID-19 hits, it becomes very hard for us to survive because it’s a huge investment and maintenance effort. I believe that merely building modern theaters isn’t enough— a steady stream of quality films is essential. Fortunately, after the recent political turmoil, our ticket sales have been excellent since the last Eid festival. If this trend continues, the whole industry could transform within a few years. There is no room for blame games— producers, theater owners, distributors, and audiences are all interconnected like beads on a string. That string is cinema itself. We must all work together to strengthen and sustain it."
Can the revival lie in replacing old halls with modern multiplexes? Possibly. Government plans and budgets have been discussed for over a decade with little progress. Private initiatives are slowly opening new cineplexes, but not nearly enough to meet national demand.
Producer Zahid Hasan Abhi notes, "Building a cinema hall is not easy. It's not like buying a bus and running it. If done privately, it's extremely difficult. Government promises rarely translate into reality."
Still, there is debate: do we need to save old, crumbling single-screen theaters? Or focus entirely on multiplex expansion? Most insiders agree that both have their place. Many audiences still can't afford a multiplex ticket.
"Single-screen halls charge around 100 to 150 taka. Multiplexes start at 350. So a huge portion of our audience is priced out. We need to retain these halls for them," Abhi adds. "Also, multiplexes could offer half-priced morning shows for students. It’s small steps like these that could save the whole industry."
Even in Dhaka, the capital, the situation is grim. Once-iconic halls like Bolaka and Binaka have shut down. Anand and Chhanda, twin halls in Farmgate, have fallen into disrepair. Madhumita, one of the city’s most prestigious halls, has been rumored to close for years due to low profitability and outdated facilities.
Former Film Exhibitors Association president Iftekhar Uddin Naushad, owner of Madhumita, says: "We’ve never thought of closing it entirely. Sometimes we shut down for technical reasons, like broken ACs. But it’s hard to run a hall profitably outside Eid."
Ten years ago, Dhaka had over 40 cinema halls. Now, only seven remain outside the major multiplex chains: Anand, Chhanda, Azad, Shyamoli, Chitramahal, Soinik Club, and New Gulshan. Nationwide, the picture is even more alarming.
There is little to no centralized data. But based on a 2021 report from Voice of America and BMDb, the number of cinema halls in Bangladesh has plummeted from 1,435 in 1994 to just around 60 today. Many districts have lost all their halls. Others have a handful, many barely functional.
Reviving this once-mighty industry will require more than passion. It demands coordination, investment, modernization, and above all, a sustained commitment from all stakeholders— government, producers, distributors, exhibitors, and viewers.
Otherwise, the Noakhali proverb will continue to echo: The desire is there, the sigh is there, but there’s no bowl of milk.
Writer: Journalist, Critics and Lyricist
Thursday, June 04, 2026
