Chanchal Chowdhury’s film ‘Hawa’ sued for breaching Wildlife Act

Despite receiving critical acclaim from audience and critics alike Bangladeshi film 'Hawa' lands into trouble. The film received a legal notice to ban it's screening for allegedly violating the Wildlife Conservation and Safety Act. The problem is with one of the scenes in which a Myna (commonly known as Shalik) can be seen held captive in a cage.
Bangladesh Supreme Court lawyer Khandaker Hasan Shahriar has already sent a legal notice to the Chairman and Vice Chairman of Bangladesh Film Censor Board.As per media reports, legal action will be taken if there’s no response from them within seven days of receiving the notice.
The notice has also demanded to reject the license of ‘Hawa’ and ban the promotion and screening of the film in not just Bangladesh but as well outside the country. The notice has further demanded reconstruction of the censor board committee to include members of the wildlife crime prevention unit, lawyers and environmentalists as members
The notice further mentioned that in future, before the censor board gives clearance to any film it has to take special care to make sure that the film doesn’t have violent murder scenes, obscene language and violate any section of the Wildlife (Preservation and Security) Act, 2012.
Meanwhile, the director of the film, Mejbaur Rahman Sumon, while responding to the allegations, has insisted that no animal was harmed in the movie and that dummies were used for the sake of the story. He further claimed that they even put up a disclaimer on the issue at the beginning of the film.

‘Hawa’, starring popular actor Chanchal Chowdhury and Nazifa Tushi in the lead, follows a group of eight fishermen leaving for sea and their way of life on a boat. The mystery thriller has already garnered a lot of appreciation for its grim yet amusing narrative.