DHAKA, April 19, 2024 (BSS) - The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has
started the process of selecting films with transparency and utmost
professionalism for disbursement of government grants.

In this regard, PowerPoint presentation of the proposed films before the
script selection committee of the full-length feature films for grant has
begun for the first time.

State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat
inaugurated the selection process at his ministry's conference room at the
Secretariat here on Thursday.

PowerPoint presentation of initially selected 45 films out of 195 full-length
feature films applied for grant in FY 2023-24 has begun.

On this day, the script selection committee members secretly assigned marks
to the films separately after watching the PowerPoint presentation. At this
time, the members of the film grant committee were also present as observers.

The state minister said government grant films will be selected with
transparency and utmost professionalism.

The government wants to ensure more professionalism in the production of
government-funded films, he added.

Arafat further said the government is sincere to ensure that the grants for
film production are provided through a transparent and accountable process.

The government also wants to ensure that efficient and experienced people in
the field of film can be involved in the selection process for grants, he
mentioned.

On the basis of various international standards, the members of the selection
committee are giving marks separately on the proposals of the applied films,
he said.

Later, by averaging the marks of all the members, the applications with the
highest marks will be considered for grant, the state minister said, adding:
"Such steps have been taken to ensure maximum impartiality and transparency."
 
Information and Broadcasting Ministry's Senior Secretary Md. Humayun Kabir
Khandaker, its Joint Secretary Md. Kawser Ahammed, Deputy Secretary Md Saiful
Islam, Film Director Md Mushfikur Rahman Guljar, Actresses Falguni Hamid and
Afsana Mimi, full-length film grant committee member and DU Television, Film
and Photography Department Professor Dr. Abu Jafar Md. Shafiul Alam Bhuiyan,
member of script selection committee of full-length films grant and Dhaka
University (DU) Television, Film and Photography Department Assistant Prof
Reffat Ferdous, DU Theatre and Performance Department Prof and Actress Wahida
Mollick Jolly, Stamford University Film and Media Department Associate Prof
and Film Director Matin Rahman, Bangladesh Film Directors Association
President and Film Director Kazi Hayat, Film Director Amitabh Reza Chowdhury
were present during the presentation of the films.

To encourage talent and creativity in the film industry and to uphold the
longstanding culture of Bangladesh, the government disburses grants in
producing films on the country's independence and Liberation War and on
humanitarian values on the basis of government grant disbursement policy in
film production, 2020 (amended) with a view to providing government's
assistance in film production.