Anonno Mamun arrested together with actor Shaheen Mridha for his or her portrayal of police attitudes in direction of rape victims.
A Bangladeshi movie director has been arrested and charged after a scene depicting police harshly interrogating a rape sufferer and highlighting attitudes in direction of violence in opposition to ladies sparked the ire of the power.
The primary half of Nabab LLB, a fictional courtroom drama about rape and the therapy of victims starring megastar Shakib Khan, was launched on an area streaming service in mid-December.
The scene from the film directed by Anonno Mamun went viral on social media final week, with criticism directed at police over their dealing with of the case.
It angered the power, with Mamun, 34, and the actor who performed the policeman, 46-year-old Shaheen Mridha, arrested on Friday.
“The officer was interrogating her utilizing very offensive gestures and obscene language which is the alternative of wholesome leisure and can create adverse perceptions about policing among the many public,” Dhaka Metropolitan Police mentioned on their information portal.
The assertion added that the pair have been arrested “for making and performing in a movie containing such offensive and obscene dialogue”.
They confronted court docket on Friday and have been charged with “making a movie with pornographic content material” over a distinct scene depicting the sexual assault, police added.
Officers mentioned they have been additionally in search of to arrest Orchita Sporshia, the 27-year-old actress who performed the rape sufferer.
A senior police officer instructed AFP information company on Saturday that the movie “insulted your complete power”.
“The plot is totally fabricated and unsightly. It’s based mostly on whole falsehood,” the officer, who requested to stay nameless, mentioned.
The pair withstand seven years in jail if discovered responsible.
Films are normally vetted by the nation’s censorship board however laws to incorporate streaming service choices have but to be finalised.
There are 5 native streaming platforms in Bangladesh, together with just lately launched iTheatre, which launched Nabab LLB. The second a part of the movie is because of be launched in early January.
The arrests have been denounced by rights activists, who mentioned the movie precisely depicted the struggles rape victims face in Bangladesh’s authorized system.
“These arrests are nothing new however the continuation of assaults on creative freedom,” activist Rezaur Rahman Lenin instructed AFP.
Activists and human rights teams say violence in opposition to ladies is rising in Bangladesh.
In a latest report, rights group Ain o Salish Kendra mentioned almost 1,000 ladies have been raped within the first 9 months of this 12 months – one-fifth of them being gang rapes – whereas 43 of the 975 victims have been killed after being attacked.
On October 12, the Bangladesh authorities amended its rape legislation that elevates the utmost punishment from life in jail to loss of life.
Days later, an area court docket sentenced 5 males to loss of life for the 2012 gang rape of a 15-year-old lady.
Nonetheless, activists say the introduction of loss of life penalty is a short-term resolution, and advocate extra systemic options to crimes in opposition to ladies.