The Bangladesh Film Certification Board has clarified that there is no current plan to withhold the National Film Award from movies featuring smoking scenes. The board emphasized that it lacks the authority to make such a decision.
This clarification follows widespread confusion and backlash triggered by reports suggesting that films depicting smoking scenes would be disqualified from National Film Award consideration.
On February 25, the Bangladesh Film Certification Board and the Association for the Prevention of Drug Abuse (MANAS) held a discussion at the Information Building titled “Enforcement of Laws on Regulating Smoking Scenes in Films: Roles of Stakeholders.”
During the event, speakers shared their view that films showing smoking and other negative content should be ineligible for the National Film Award. The vice chairman of the Film Certification Board was quoted in a MANAS press release stating that measures would be taken to curb the depiction of smoking in films.
The comments led to strong opposition from filmmakers and actors who perceived it as a threat to artistic freedom. Subsequently, both the Film Certification Board and MANAS issued clarifications to address the controversy.
MANAS admitted that a press release on February 26 had a headline suggesting that films with smoking scenes would not be eligible for the National Award. However, MANAS clarified that this was not an official decision but rather an individual speaker’s viewpoint expressed during the discussion.
MANAS clarified that the primary focus of the meeting was on enforcing tobacco control laws, discouraging smoking portrayals in various media, and safeguarding children and adolescents from negative influences.
Separately, SM Abdur Rahman, vice chairman of the Bangladesh Film Certification Board, refuted claims of a decision to disqualify films with smoking scenes from the National Film Award. He stressed that the Board’s role is to ensure compliance with existing laws regarding smoking depictions in films.
Rahman criticized the misrepresentation of his comments and emphasized the need for accuracy in future collaborations with MANAS.
