Brahmanbaria railway station excluded from Banalata Express exhibition tour
Photo Collected
Organizers in Brahmanbaria have indefinitely postponed a scheduled screening of the film “Bonolota Express” following intense pressure and threats of protest from local religious groups. The Brahmanbaria Film Society, a student-led organization, had planned to host the screening at Annada Government High School on Saturday afternoon to mark the Eid-ul-Adha holiday.
The decision to cancel the event comes amid a coordinated campaign by the Brahmanbaria Qawmi Student Unity Council, which launched a social media drive against the screening earlier this week. The group’s leadership labeled the film’s presentation as an attempt to promote “anti-Islamic” values and obscenity within the district. Following a meeting of local religious leaders at Jamia Islamia Yunusia Madrasa, organizers were warned of potential disruptions, leading to a planned show of force by students and faculty from local madrasas.
বিজ্ঞাপন
Conflicting accounts have emerged regarding the authorization of the event. Representatives from the Brahmanbaria Film Society insisted that they had obtained formal written permission from the school’s administration to use the auditorium. However, Sabina Yasmin, the acting headmistress of Annada Government High School, categorically denied these claims. She stated that while former students had requested to use the school facilities for a reunion gathering, no mention of a film screening was ever made, and no official approval for such an event was granted.
The tension escalated after some social media users allegedly made derogatory comments regarding local religious figures, further inflaming the situation. Maulana Ali Azam Kashemi, general secretary of the district branch of Hefazat-e-Islam, confirmed that local scholars had met to discuss the controversy, citing both the nature of the film and the perceived insults to historical religious leaders as grounds for their opposition.
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The organizers, who have been hosting regular screenings under the banner “Bhatghumer Cinema Adda” for the past year, expressed disappointment over the lack of support from local authorities. Tauza Khandakar, a member of the organizing society, stated that they had sought intervention from the local member of parliament, Khaled Hossain Mahbub, who promised to mediate between the students and religious leaders. Despite these attempts to navigate the escalating social climate, the organizers have opted to shelve the event indefinitely to prevent a breakdown in public order.
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