A new film titled "Operation Jackpot", highlighting the daring guerrilla missions of naval commandos during a pivotal moment in Bangladesh's Liberation War, is currently in production. 

The project, backed by the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs, aims to bring this crucial chapter of history to the big screen.

Following the political shift in August, concerns have arisen about the film's prospects, with fears that it might not be released. However, Swapan Chowdhury, head of the production company Antar Showbiz, provided a reassuring update in a recent interview with Ajker Patrika. 

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He emphasised that the government transition would not interfere with "Operation Jackpot", stating that all plans are in place for the film's release on Victory Day this year.

Production began in January at the FDC, yet, despite nearly ten months passing, the filming remains unfinished. When asked if the recent political changes had affected the film's progress, Chowdhury responded, "Since the political landscape shifted in August, many have told me my film would never see the light of day."

He added, "That assumption is completely unfounded. Some believe that because the project began under the previous government, it would focus on the Awami League and Bangabandhu. But this film is not about Bangabandhu or any political party. 'Operation Jackpot' is about a naval commando operation, without any political agenda. Whether Awami League or BNP, the government ultimately represents the people of Bangladesh, and this is a government-backed project."

On the delay in completing the film, Chowdhury explained, "At the moment, many things are in transition. The government is focused on reforms and addressing pressing issues, which has slightly slowed the film's progress. Nonetheless, the change in government won't stop the film's completion."

Reports suggest that while most of the filming is complete, a few scenes required reshooting after failing to receive approval from certain ministry officials. Chowdhury confirmed these adjustments but emphasised that they are minor and will not significantly impact production.

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He stated, "The ministry has made a few minor observations. Some areas need colour correction, and adjustments to the background music are required. I'm in constant communication with the ministry, and we are making the necessary changes, both locally and internationally."

Initially, some scenes were planned to be shot in Paris, but due to the current situation, alternatives are being explored. "We had planned to shoot a few scenes in Paris, and we're still aiming to do that. However, given the challenges, if it's not feasible, we are considering CGI for those scenes. Our goal is to release the film in December, the month of victory, and we aim to wrap up the remaining work by next month," Chowdhury explained.

From the beginning, "Operation Jackpot" has been mired in controversy. A few years ago, the Ministry of Shipping initiated plans to produce a film based on the events of the operation, with Giasuddin Selim set to write and possibly direct. However, when the project went to tender, Antar Showbiz secured the contract with a budget of Tk 21 crore, outbidding Selim's company.

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The film is now being directed by Delwar Jahan Jhantu, with India's Rajib Biswas serving as co-director.

Casting choices also sparked debate. Zayed Khan and Nipun Akter were initially cast in leading roles, but Zayed was unexpectedly dropped just before filming. Rumours suggest his removal was at Nipun Akter's request. Additionally, Bappy Chowdhury, who had initially signed on, withdrew due to unfulfilled promises from the production company.

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The film features a star-studded cast, including Ananta Jalil, Nipun Akter, Amit Hasan, Omar Sani, Emon, Nirob, Roshan, Shipon, Sanju, Joy Chowdhury, Pallab, Ilias Kanchan, Kazi Hayat, and Misha Sawdagor.

It is a fundamental principle of justice that any person accused of a crime is considered innocent until proven guilty. This is to ensure the legal rights of the accused throughout a trial. The case of jailed BNP leaders Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Mirza Abbas appears to be a contravention of that principle. Their bail petitions in a case filed over the December 7 clash between BNP activists and police have been rejected for the fourth time now.

As we know, since that clash, hundreds of leaders and activists of the BNP and its front organisations have been arrested. Mirza Fakhrul, the party's secretary general, and Mirza Abbas, a member of its standing committee, were arrested in the early hours of December 9, on charges of inciting violence. While these arrests follow the well-established political strategy of rounding up opposition activists after any clash, one expects the judicial process to follow its own course and take decisions impartially. However, the repeated denial of bail to Fakhrul and Abbas raises concerns about that process.

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AL's strategy of intimidation may no longer be working

To be clear, we're not commenting on the merit of charges brought against them. Their guilt or innocence is for the court to establish. But until that has happened – and so long as they're not flight risks, which they are not – they deserve to get bail like everyone else. Importantly, their names were not even in the First Information Report (FIR) of the case in which they were implicated, while two other BNP leaders – Amanullah Aman and Abdul Kader Bhuiyan – whose names were there in the FIR of the same case were already granted bail by another court. Why this discrepancy? Why different bail decisions in the same case? Are we to accept a breach of legal principles here, and presume them guilty until proven innocent? Who will account for the time they are kept behind bars if they are eventually proven innocent, or if this case drags on indefinitely, which most political cases tend to do?

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Pursuit of peace through violence?

We're talking about two top leaders of our main opposition party. Both are veteran politicians, hold high ranks in their party, and have had ministerial portfolios during BNP's last term in office. They are also reportedly sick, leading to the court directing jail authorities to provide them with proper treatment. Their social status and physical conditions alone would have merited a bail consideration. Unfortunately, in recent years, there have been many instances of bail denials in cases involving rival politicians and government critics. Should we see them as a mere coincidence, or is there any external influence behind such decisions?

We hope the judiciary will reconsider the bail petitions of jailed BNP leaders. It will only help its image and credibility among the public at a time when the judiciary is facing a challenge to establish rule of law amid a complex interplay of legal loopholes, institutional barriers, lack of resources, and intense political pressures that are making justice difficult to deliver. We hope it will rise to that challenge.

The Awami League yesterday decided not to field party candidates in any local government polls as a measure to stop infighting between AL leaders.

The infighting worsened after the party decided to nominate candidates in the recently held national election and allowed their party colleagues to compete against them.

The new decision will be effective in the polls to Cumilla and Mymensingh city corporations, which are slated for March 9, said sources.

No candidates will get the party symbol "boat". 

The decision was made at an emergency meeting of AL Central Working Committee, the highest decision-making body of the party, at the Gono Bhaban. AL President Sheikh Hasina chaired the meeting.

The ruling party convened the meeting to discuss the way out of the intra-party feuds.

As the BNP and some other parties boycotted the polls, the party adopted a strategy to make the election appear participatory and to increase turnout. This ultimately led to violence between AL leaders in many places.

According to insiders, at the beginning of the meeting, Hasina asked party leaders to come up their recommendations on how to minimise the infighting and party's role in upcoming elections to upazila parishads, which will be held in phases. The polls are likely to begin in March.

AL Joint General Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim started first with his proposal for not providing party electoral symbol in local government elections.

He also recommended holding extended meetings in the districts where AL's internal feuds are intense and said the party should take all-out measures so that the infighting does not intensify further, said sources.

Almost all other party leaders echoed Nasim.

Some of them also suggested that the government take stern action against the arsonists to stop the recurrence of arson attacks, said sources.

At the one stage of the meeting, Hasina, also the prime minister, brought up the US presidential election and said the presidential election between George W Bush and Al Gore was questionable, said meeting insiders.

She said Donald Trump also did not recognise Joe Biden's victory.

Those who are preaching good elections to Bangladesh are mum on the issues of the US presidential election, Hasina said, according to meeting sources.

At the end of the meeting, AL chief Hasina decided to take "boat" out of the local government polls.

The AL started fielding candidates for the local body polls with its electoral symbol "boat" from 2015 after five laws related to union parishads, upazila parishads, municipalities and city corporations were amended, allowing party-backed candidates in local government bodies.

The meeting also assigned eight divisional committees to meet the leaders of the districts where there are intra-party feuds. It also decided to hold extended meetings there to resolve the problem.

While briefing reporters about the outcome of the meeting, AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader said the party would not allocate "boat" to any candidates in upazila parishad elections.

He, however, said the final decision would be made at a joint meeting of party's local government and parliamentary nomination boards.

It was the deadliest phase of the ongoing polls to union parishads.

At least 12 people, including two school-goers and two candidates, were killed in violence during yesterday's fifth-phase voting that was also marked by various irregularities.

Before yesterday, the highest number of people killed in election-day violence was 10, and it was in the first of the six phases of the staggered UP polls.

The election-day death toll in the five phases now stands at 37.

This apart, violence erupted also during electioneering and after the polls since February, leaving 76 more dead.

More than 200 people were also injured, many of them shot, as the supporters of chairmen and member candidates got locked in fierce clashes yesterday, when 717 unions went to polls.

Most of the casualties were the results of clashes between supporters of ruling Awami League candidates and party rebels in around 60 unions.

Deaths were reported from Jamalpur, Chittagong, Noakhali, Comilla, Panchagarh and Narayanganj.

The supporters of candidates captured polling stations and stuffed ballot boxes, like in the previous four phases.

Voting in 120 centres was called off as law and order went out of control, according to the Election Commission.

Until yesterday, the total number of deaths in UP polls violence stood at 101, according to civil body platform Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan). Of the deceased, 40 were supporters of AL nominated chairman candidates while 12 were loyal to AL rebel candidates and two were supporters of BNP candidates. Most of the rest were people with no political affiliation. There were a few from Jatiya Party and Jatiyatabadi Samajtantrik Dal.

Jamalpur saw the worst violence yesterday in which at least four people, including two children, were killed.

Over 100 others were injured when supporters of AL and AL rebel chairman candidates locked in a fierce clash over taking control over a polling centre in Bahadurabad union.

Witnesses said armed supporters of AL candidate Shakiruzzaman Rakhal and AL rebel candidate Sajahan Mia clashed around 10:15am at the polling station.

The law enforcers tried to control the situation but Jahangir Alam, general secretary of Bahadurabad union parishad, said, "All the three parties fired bullets that left four people shot."

Majed, 15, of class-VIII and Nabirul, 16, of class-IX of a local school were among those hit. Majed died on the spot while Nabirul died on his way to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, Shariful Huq, additional superintendent of Jamalpur police, told this paper.

Police fired at least 140 shots to control the situation, he said.

Locals said Majed and Nabirul had gone to Khutarchar Ebtedayee Madrasa polling centre to see the voting.

Nurul Islam, 55, and Ziaur Rahman, 35, were also shot and they died in local hospitals.

At least 10 policemen and Ansar men were injured in the clash, reports our correspondent there.

The deputy commissioner of the district has formed a four-member probe body, led by an additional district magistrate, and asked it to submit a report within three days.

In Chittagong, two people, including a member candidate, were killed and several others injured when supporters of AL chairman candidate Md Ali and AL rebel chairman candidate Didarul Alam locked in a clash outside Fakirnir Hat Sunnia Madrasa polling station in Barauthan union around 1:00pm.

They were armed with firearms and sharp weapons.

Yasin, 34, an independent member candidate from Barauthan Union Parishad was stabbed outside the polling centre at that time, locals said.

Doctors at Chittagong Medical College Hospital declared him dead at 1:30pm. Hossain, 30, was also taken to the hospital with stab wounds and was declared dead in the evening.

In another incident, one person was killed and several others, including three police constables were injured as supporters of two member candidates clashed at South Ashia Shah Amanat Hefzakhana polling centre in Ashia union around 11:30am.

Police and eyewitnesses said the followers of member candidates Nurul Karim and Shafiqul Islam locked in clash accusing each other of casting fake votes.

They hurled brick chunks and fired shots at each other, said Sergeant Saiful Islam, who was in charge of the centre's security.

"We too fired four bullets to disperse the mob," he added.

In the melee, Babul Shil was seriously injured after being beaten up. He died at Patiya Upazila Health Complex in the afternoon.

Meanwhile, presiding officer of Kazipara Govt Primary School polling centre, Manjurul Alam, 55, died of cardiac arrest while discharging his duties at Haidgaon of Patiya around 3:30pm, reports our correspondent there.

In Noakhali, two people were killed in separate incidents at two unions of Begumganj.

Our correspondent reported that a group of people gathered in front of Rajganj Senior Madrasa polling station around 11:00am allegedly to occupy the centre.

Law enforcers went to the spot and started charging truncheons .

Amid the chaos, Soyad Ahmed, 65, he ran into a wall and started bleeding from his head, said locals.

He was taken to Noakhali General Hospital where he died.

In another incident, Shakil, 17, a shopkeeper of a fruit stall, was killed during a clash between the supporters of two member candidates over occupying KB Union High School polling station in Chirtoli union.

Shakil was being treated at a local hospital but doctors referred him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital as his condition deteriorated.

He passed away on his way to Dhaka. 

Details of the incident could not be known.

In Comilla, Kamal Uddin, an independent chairman candidate and also the outgoing chairman of Bolorampur union parishad and vice-president of Titas upazila BNP unit, was stabbed to death allegedly by his rivals .

ASM Abdun Nur, officer-in-charge (investigation) of Titas Police Station, said a clash erupted between the supporters of Kamal and BNP-nominated chairman candidate Tofail Ahmed Tapan Bhuiyan around 3:00pm in Bolorampur.

Kamal was stabbed during the clash, he said.

In Panchagarh, Nasiruddin, 50, was killed in a clash between supporters of two member candidates at Harinabari union of Panchagarh sadar last night.

A clash erupted around 9:00pm when presiding officer of Joardarpara Government Primary School polling centre declared Tarikul Islam unofficially elected.

After the announcement, supporters of a defeated member candidate attacked Tarikul's men leaving at least four people injured, including Nasiruddin, a supporter of Tarikul.

Nasiruddin was taken to a local hospital where he died.

In Narayanganj, an elderly man died when supporters of a defeated member candidate chased the fans of a winning candidate in Naogaon union of Sonargaon in Narayanganj last night, reports our correspondent there.

Winning member candidate Nurul Islam said Idris Ali got trampled during the attack by his rival's men.

However, Manjur Kader, officer-in-charge of Sonargaon Police Station, said Idris died of cardiac arrest.

In Sirajganj, a mobile court sentenced presiding officer Forhad Hossain of Shuvogacha Govt Primary School polling centre in Kazipur to six months' imprisonment for allowing people to cast fake votes in favour of an AL nominated candidate.

The magistrate also fined four AL men for their involvement in irregularities.

In Munshiganj, Haji Md Ripon Patwari, AL chairman candidate for Mollakandi union, boycotted the polls alleging capturing of polling stations by AL rebel chairman candidate Mohsina Haq Kolpona.

In Chittagong, BGB members arrested AL chairman candidate Haji Saber Ahmed at Ichanagar Govt Primary School polling centre in Chorpathorghata in connection with voting irregularities.

In the presence of a mobile court, the BGB members also recovered ballot papers and seals from his possession, sources said.

At the end of his two-day visit to Bangladesh, the UN human rights chief has sent a message that resonates in these challenging times: that justice must be fair, comprehensive, and aimed at breaking the cycle of violence that plagued the nation both before and after the ouster of the Awami League government. As Bangladesh initiates the process of establishing justice for those killed in the uprising, Volker Turk's emphasis on following due process and broadening the scope of justice to include victims of all killings and human rights violations is worth serious reflection in today's charged climate.

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Reclaiming judicial independence and the struggle for justice

The importance of justice for the killings of protesters and innocent bystanders during the uprising cannot be overstated. At the same time, the post-August 5 period also witnessed significant retaliatory violence as well as mob justice which demand investigation, too. It's essential to avoid the trap of selective justice, where certain victims are overlooked and charges weaponised against certain others. Since the formation of the interim government on August 8, at least 1,695 murder cases related to the uprising have been filed, many targeting politicians and businesspeople linked to the former regime. Referring to the concerns about dubious and politically motivated cases, Turk said, "We cannot have the filing of cases on charges that are not properly done; it is therefore extremely important to resolve this and [that] there is a commission set up precisely to address this issue."

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Some concerns about the proposed changes in international crimes tribunals

Turk also talked about other issues that deserve equal consideration, including compliance with international standards throughout the justice process, from investigation to trial to sentencing. The call for unbiased investigation is particularly relevant. Turk also proposed several measures that could prove pivotal in guiding Bangladesh towards stability and a more just society. He advocated for the UN Human Rights Office to set up a branch in Bangladesh to support the government in its reform drive. He called for the National Human Rights Commission to be independent and fully functional so that it can safeguard human rights more effectively. He also emphasised that women and minority groups should play a central role in the transition process.

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The indiscriminate arrests and murder charges

All such proposals deserve careful consideration not only to foster national healing and reconciliation but also to prevent a repeat of the abuses that have fractured the nation for so long.