Artists unite against legal notice seeking ban on romantic dramas, films

Television and audiovisual industry has jointly protested a recent legal notice seeking a halt to the production of romantic dramas and films, expressing concern that such a move could undermine creative freedom and affect the livelihoods of thousands of industry professionals.

Producers, directors, actors, writers and technical professionals from several industry organisations voiced their opposition in a joint statement issued on Thursday (August 27).

The organisations said the legal notice had caused “deep concern and surprise” among professionals across the television and entertainment sectors.

They stressed that television and audiovisual industries have long played an important role in the country’s culture, entertainment, creativity and economy. While acknowledging the need for responsible and quality content, they said creative freedom and artists’ right to expression must be respected alongside existing laws, regulations and regulatory frameworks.

“If there are objections or complaints regarding specific content, there are established legal and regulatory mechanisms to address them,” the organisations said.

They warned that an attempt to stop an entire genre of creative production could put the employment and creative activities of a large number of people directly and indirectly involved in the television industry at risk.

The organisations also said a blanket ban on romantic dramas or films was incompatible with the development of the creative sector.

At the same time, they acknowledged the importance of producing responsible, appropriate and quality content and called for constructive engagement to address concerns over particular productions.

They urged the relevant authorities to play an effective and positive role in protecting creative freedom, ensuring a safe working environment for artists and technicians, and allowing the country’s entertainment and cultural sectors to operate normally.

The joint statement was signed by leaders of the Directors Guild Bangladesh, Actors Equity Bangladesh, Television Playwrights Association, Camera Association of Bangladesh, Audio-Visual Technical Owners Association, Television Assistant Directors Organisation of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Makeup Artists Association.

Among the signatories were Shahiduzzaman Selim, president of the Directors Guild Bangladesh; Faridul Hasan, its general secretary; Azad Abul Kalam, president of Actors Equity Bangladesh; Rashed Mamun Apu, its general secretary; Shihab Shaheen, president of the Television Playwrights Association; and Mezbah Uddin Sumon, its general secretary.