Entertainment Desk:

In a blow to Bangladesh’s cinema scene, Kaathgolap – a critically acclaimed drama that charmed international festivals – has been officially banned from screening in its own country.

After languishing in bureaucratic limbo for nearly two years at the Bangladesh Film Certification Board, the film’s fate was sealed this week when the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting declared it “uncertified” and prohibited its exhibition nationwide.

Directed by rising filmmaker Sazzad Khan and produced by Dreamland Entertainment, Kaathgolap weaves the intimate stories of three women—a housewife, a corporate professional, and a schoolteacher—through a screenplay by Apurna Rubel.

The ensemble cast includes Dilruba Doyel, Keya, Meghla Mukta, Rashed Apu, AK Azad, Jamshed Shamim, Kuntal Buki, Shilpi Sarkar Apu, and Sujan Habib.

Despite its domestic rejection, the film found resonance overseas, earning accolades at the Shanta Dev International Film Festival in Chennai and the Navy International Film Festival in Malaysia.

The Ministry’s notification, signed by Deputy Secretary Sharmin Akhtar under presidential orders, cited a procedural violation—specifically, that the producer’s appeal was filed in breach of subsection 12(1) of the Bangladesh Film Certification Act, 2023—as grounds for rejection. With the appeal dismissed, the film is now deemed uncertified, and any attempt to screen it risks legal action, including confiscation.

Cinema circles are calling the ban a symbolic setback for creative freedom.

For now, the petals of Kaathgolap remain closed to Bangladeshi audiences—allowed to bloom only beyond the border.