Hansal Mehta calls Sheikh Hasina 'highly authoritarian leader', says Faraaz is still banned in Bangladesh: 'I hope...'

Let justice prevail in Bangladesh, filmmaker Hansal Mehta said on Monday, recalling the threats he received for his 2022 film Faraaz, which was based on a terror attack in Dhaka and is still banned in the country as it allegedly portrayed authorities in a "poor light". Mehta, who often uses social media to express his opinion on a range of issues, shared a lengthy post on X as he saw the events unfold in Bangladesh.

Sheikh Hasina resigned as prime minister and left the country following massive protests with extraordinary scenes of crowds swarming the streets of the capital and vandalising the statue of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Mehta termed Hasina, the 76-year-old daughter of the Bangladesh founder, a "highly authoritarian leader" who was afraid of any criticism towards herself.

"Seeing the events unfold in Bangladesh reminds me of the Faraaz release saga. It is streaming globally on Netflix except in Bangladesh where it has been banned. The release of Faraaz based on the Holey Artisan Bakery, Dhaka attack of 2016 was sought to be stalled for nearly 18 months. I was visited at home by the otherwise very amiable Bangladesh High Commissioner of the time, I was constantly threatened and/or called by sources supposedly from the Indian 'cabinet secretariat' to tell me that the film would strain India’s relations with Bangladesh", Mehta wrote.

The National Award-winning filmmaker added, "I received multiple calls from high ranking police officials, alleged secret service agents, I have been accorded police protection for perceived threats from terror organisations, was put through lengthy litigation in Indian courts, was levelled rude allegations by many who said 'this is not your story to tell', am still battling bogus litigation in the Bangladesh courts."

Faraaz, which echoes the religion versus radicalism debate, stars Zahaan Kapoor, Aditya Rawal, Juhi Babbar and Aamir Ali. More than 100 people have been killed in the protests against the Hasina government over the last two days. Bangladesh has been witnessing fierce demonstrations over the controversial quota system that reserves 30 per cent of jobs for the families of veterans who fought the 1971 liberation war.

Seeing the events unfold in Bangladesh reminds me of the Faraaz release saga. It is streaming globally on Netflix except in Bangladesh where it has been banned.

The release of ‘Faraaz’ based on the Holey Artisan Bakery, Dhaka attack of 2016 was sought to be stalled for nearly… pic.twitter.com/dQIP9pF9P1

— Hansal Mehta (@mehtahansal) August 5, 2024

In his post, Mehta said the Bangladesh government wanted to cover up "their bloodied hands" by banning the film. "All this to halt the release of a film that apparently showed Sheikh Hasina's government and machinery in poor light. This was a government that wanted nobody outside Bangladesh to know that they were simply inept and run by a highly authoritarian leader who was afraid of any criticism towards herself. They wanted to cover up their bloodied hands by shutting our voice and our right to tell a story that is a mirror to our times, a study of our youth, a critique of authoritarian governments and majoritarian states." 

The director, known for acclaimed movies such as Shahid, Aligarh, and Omerta, said he hopes the citizens of Bangladesh receive justice. "I hope justice will be served to the people of Bangladesh and every country that might be vulnerable to such an establishment. Let equality, truth and justice always prevail. Let every citizen of the free world stand tall," he added.

After Hasina's resignation, Bangladesh Army Chief General Waqar-uz-Zaman announced that an interim government is taking over the country. Soon after the army chief's announcement, hundreds of people took to the streets, celebrating Hasina's ouster. Hasina had been ruling the strategically located South Asian nation since 2009.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from PTI

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