Cultural activists, including filmmakers and theatre people, castigated the government on Saturday, alleging that the allocations for cultural activities in the proposed national budget covered nothing more than the ministry’s operational costs.
The stern criticisms came at an open discussion titled ‘Allocations in the proposed 2026–27 national budget for film and other cultural fields’ and organised by Jatiya Chalachitra Andolan at the National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in the capital.
The proposed Tk 826 crore allocations for the Ministry of Cultural Affairs accounts for just 0.088 per cent of the total budget, with roughly 60 per cent of it set aside for operating expenses, they said at the discussion.
The speakers at the event also demanded clarity over the ‘creative economy project’, mentioned in the proposed budget, stressing that strict evaluation and stakeholder involvement were must for the project’s success.
Bangladesh Federation of Film Societies general secretary Mohammad Nurullah presented a keynote paper at the discussion with filmmaker Nargis Akter, producer Shahreen Akter Sumi, chairman of the Policy Think and Economic Research Centre Md Mazadul Hoque, National Film Movement activist Shafiqur Rahman, Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation secretary general Kamal Bayezid and Bangladeshi Sangskritik Karmi Sangha general secretary Khondoker Shah Alam, among others, spoke at the event moderated by filmmaker Akram Khan.
Mohammad Nurullah said that the budget for the creative economy project should come from the banking sector’s corporate social responsibility funds.
Only 23 per cent of the information ministry budget went toward development projects, with the remaining 77 per cent consumed by operating expenses, he alleged.
He also raised a five-point demand for the sector, including the formation of a ‘national creative commission’ and ‘culture protection task force’.
Filmmaker Nargis Akter stressed proper evaluation and involvement of relevant experts and stakeholders before undertaking the project.
According to her, the opinions of the stakeholders should be given due weight in utilizing such a large amount of funds. Producer Shahreen Akter Sumi emphasised efficient utilisation of funds, calling for policies to attract foreign investment particularly for the film industry.
