‘Legal notice issued to stop screening of ‘Mujib’
Staff Reporter :
A legal notice has been sent to the authorities concerned to stop the screening of the movie “Mujib : The making of a nation” on an allegation that it has portrayed BNP founder and former President Ziaur Rahman and BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia controversially and distorted history.
Producer and Joint Producer of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Executive Producer of Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC), Joint Executive Producer of National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC), Distributer of Jaaz Multimedia, Intermediary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other respondents have been asked to comply with the notice.
Barrister Kayser Kamal, a Supreme Court lawyer and also Legal Affairs Secretary of BNP, sent the legal notice on Thursday.
The Notice said, “You notice recipients are requested to take necessary steps to remove or expunge the part portraying martyred President Ziaur Rahman Bir Uttam and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia with seven days and till that time stop screening the ongoing shows of movie titled ‘Mujib : The making of a nation’ in the cinema halls across the country and release in India as well as in any OTT (over the top) platforms.
Moreover, you notice recipients are requested to apologize in public for your such abhorrent and obnoxious conduct of distorting the historical fact.”
Appropriate legal action both criminal and civil shall be taken against the responsible persons if the notice recipients fail to comply with the said request, also warned the legal notice.
Shyam Benegal’s biopic, ‘Mujib : The Making of a nation’, an India-Bangla-desh co-production about the life of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was released on October 13 in 153 cinema halls and theatres in Bangladesh.
It will be released in India on October 27.
The notice said, “The portrayal of Ziaur Rahman in the film titled ‘Mujib : The making of a nation’ places him in a false light.
Moreover, the portrayal of him in the said film is not only distortion of history but very much derogatory, defamatory and an attempt to tarnishing his image to the people of Bangladesh.
Distortion of history and derogatory portrayal of any person amounts to commission of criminal offence under the existing law.
On the other hand, portrayal of any person in any film without prior permission clearly violates his or her right to privacy, a fundamental right guaranteed under the Constitution and other existing laws as well as basic human right mandated under the Universal declaration of Human Rights.”
