Aung Rakhine’s banned Chakma film ‘My Bicycle’ premieres

The first full-length Chakma-language film, "My Bicycle", directed by Aung Rakhine, was screened yesterday at the Suhrawardy Udyan Open Stage, which was previously banned by the censorship board.

The film, known in Chakma as "Mor Thengari", tells the story of the Chakma community in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, with the narrative centred around a bicycle. The 64-minute film features members of the Chakma community in its cast.

The film has faced significant hurdles due to "objections from the Bangladesh Army", according to the director. Subsequently, it was banned by the censorship board. However, in an act of defiance, a group of like-minded young filmmakers, students, and educators organised the screening of "My Bicycle", alongside "Michiler Mukh", a film by director Zakir Hossain Raju, at Suhrawardy Udyan yesterday.

The event, dubbed "Freedom of Storytelling in a Free Nation", highlights the ongoing struggle for artistic freedom in Bangladesh. The organisers emphasised that this initiative was not affiliated with any formal organisation but was a collective effort by individuals committed to promoting independent filmmaking in the country.

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The screening will continue today on the Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) premises of the University of Dhaka at 7pm.

The organisers stated that in a free country, films should also be free. "We believe in the freedom of art and storytelling, and this event is our way of standing up against censorship."