Legal notice seeks complete ban on screening Hawa

A legal notice has been served to ban screenings of the film Hawa, for violating the Wildlife Conservation and Safety Act, reports UNB

Supreme court lawyer Khandaker Hasan Shahriar sent the notice to the chairman and vice chairman of Bangladesh Film Censor Board and information secretary Mokbul Hossain.

According to the notice, legal action will be taken if a satisfactory response isn't forthcoming within seven days of receiving the notice.

The notice demanded the license of the film be revoked, and to ban its screening worldwide, not just locally.

Besides, it said the Censor Board should be reconstituted to include members of the Wildlife Crime Prevention Unit, lawyers and environmentalists.

In addition, before giving the Censor Board's clearance to any movie in the future, it must be ensured that a film does not violate any section of the Wildlife Conservation and Safety Act-2012.

According to the notice, in the movie which was released on 29 July, a bird named Shalik is seen kept captive inside a cage on a trawler. At one point the bird is killed and eaten.

Besides, there are several scenes in the movie which are clear violations of the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act, 2012. This might encourage people to hunt, cage and kill birds.

No permission was taken from the Forest Department to promote this scene, added the notice.

Earlier on 17 August, four officers of the Wildlife Crime Prevention Unit filed a case after seeing the movie.