Government Forms Film Grant Committee After Delays
The government has finally established the committee responsible for awarding grants for full-length feature films. A notice signed by Deputy Secretary Sharmin Akhtar of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced the formation of the 11-member committee on Thursday. This committee will operate under the Government Grant Policy for Full-Length Feature Film Production, 2025 (Amended). Notable members include producer Sardar Saniyat Hossain, former chairman of Dhaka University's Theatre and Performance Studies Department Saiful Islam, President of the Bangladesh Film Exhibitors Association Awlad Hossain, and actress Romana Islam Mukti. The Minister of Information and Broadcasting will chair the committee, with the Joint Secretary (Film) of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting serving as the member secretary. Other members include the State Minister for Information and Broadcasting, the Prime Minister's Advisor for Information and Broadcasting, the Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the Additional Secretary (Film) of the Ministry, and the Managing Director of the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation. The committee's formation follows a report published on July 2nd in Prothom Alo, which highlighted that the grant announcement for the 2025-26 fiscal year was delayed because the committee had not yet been formed, breaking the usual June announcement tradition. The announcement of the grant committee comes amidst ongoing discussions about the delay.
The delay in forming the film grant committee, which consequently postponed the announcement of government funding for the 2025-26 fiscal year, indicates potential inefficiencies in administrative processes. The establishment of the committee, now including high-level officials and industry representatives, suggests a move towards structured decision-making for film production support. Future governance models could explore more agile committee formation or pre-established criteria to ensure timely disbursement of funds, thereby fostering a more predictable environment for filmmakers and supporting the cultural industry's growth. This situation underscores the importance of robust administrative frameworks to align policy intentions with practical execution, especially in sectors reliant on timely financial support.
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