Actors Equity Bangladesh: Members call for leadership overhaul

During the anti-discrimination student movement, questions arose about the role of Actors Equity Bangladesh, the professional organisation of television actors in the country. Leaked conversations from a secret WhatsApp group, Alo Ashbei, intensified the criticism, as several members of the organisation were associated with the group. This controversy eroded the trust of many artistes in the organisation, leading to widespread calls for reform.

Some actors sought to arrange a meeting with the executive committee of the organisation but were told that the committee would only meet with its official 'members' and had a prior commitment on September 7. Despite this, the actors went ahead with their planned meeting on that day, where they openly voiced their dissatisfaction and demanded the resignation of the committee members by September 10.

Photo: Collected

However, the current committee members of Actors Equity Bangladesh neither apologised nor resigned by the given deadline.

On Tuesday (September 11), over 50 artistes, including Mostafizur Noor Imran, Azmeri Haque Badhan, Nazia Haque Orsha, Shamol Mawla, Shohel Mondol, Khairul Basar, and Manoj Pramanik, gathered at Rabindra Sarobar in Dhanmondi to discuss the shortcomings of the organisation. They unanimously agreed that the current executive committee members were unfit to continue in their positions.

Photo: Collected

Led by actor Mostafizur Noor Imran, the group proposed 22 reforms, including state recognition of acting as a profession and the introduction of a new registration process for actors.

Mostafizur Noor Imran told The Daily Star that they want all artistes to unite under one umbrella. "We don't want any separate organisations. We want artistes from all mediums—be it theatre, OTT, television, film, or others—to be under one roof. Actors can have their own political preferences, but that shouldn't overshadow their passion for acting. While there hasn't been any official confirmation yet, we are still in communication with them. We aim to select an advisor who can help us address our issues. From there, we hope to establish a reformation committee so that all our voices are heard."

At the gathering, actor Shohel Mondol emphasised the need for meaningful discussions on reform with those in power. Actress Azmeri Haque Badhan echoed this sentiment, comparing the current situation to the remnants of autocratic regimes in Bangladesh. In an interview with The Daily Star, Shohel Mondol expressed hope for creating an open space for dialogue and reform within the organisation. He noted that while there were rumours of an internal meeting, no official communication had been made.

Photo: Collected

Shohel also raised the issue of why certain artistes were no longer part of the organisation, urging reflection on the matter. He stressed that the goal is not to create a new organisation but to reform the existing one to be more equitable and fairer for all.

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Reformist actors push for leadership change in Actors’ Equity Bangladesh

The artistes collectively called for unity, insisting that the reforms should create a more inclusive and member-friendly organisation, eliminating disparities between the hardworking artistes who entertain the audience.