By Sumi Khan
Dhaka, Aug 26 (IANS): Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has proposed the setting up a special fund to extend financial support to reopen the closed cinema halls, country's Planning Minister M.A. Mannan has said.
The Prime Minister chaired the meeting from her official Ganobhaban residence through video conferencing while the concerned Ministers, State Ministers and Secretaries joined the meeting from the NEC conference room in the capital's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area.
Mannan said many cinema halls across the country have now been abandoned and many of them have transformed their cinemas into shopping malls or other establishments.
The number of active cinema halls in the country has come down to at least 70. Even three years ago, the number was 250.
Whereas in the 1990s, there were 1,435 cinema halls in operation across the country, but the count is only 70 now.
In various districts like -- Barguna, Bagerhat, Jhalokati, Narail, Natore, Munshiganj, Narsingdi, Panchagarh, Brakshanbaria, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, Chuadanga, Cox's Bazar, Khagrachhari, Bandarban and 25 others -- there are no cinema halls.
Although in Jessore, there are 21 cinema halls, but only four cinema halls are open.
Renowned cinemas in Dhaka like -- Gulistan, Naz, Moon, Mukul, Rupmahal in Sadarghat, Shabisthan in Armanitola, Diana in Postagola, Purnima and Rajmoni and Razia in Karwan Bazar area have also been closed.
Sources said that the reason behind the closure of cinema halls was because of the flat business, besides, no good movies were being made. A total of 80 cinema halls that are still in operation are also in a state of dilapidation
Iftekhar Uddin Nowshad, President and Producer of the Exhibitors' Association, said: "I am not saying that one or two films are not doing business in a year. But, will the cinema halls survive? Bangladeshi movies are now on life support. And if the number of halls continues to decrease day by day, then there will be a huge crisis. One day there will be no cinema hall in the country."
Highlighting the directives of Hasina, the Planning Minister added that financial assistance will be provided if the owners want to reopen the closed cinema halls.