Culture Desk
A press conference was held on October 19 to respond to the recent controversy over eminent director Khan Ataur Rahman. The conference was held at Zahir Raihan Hall of Bangladesh Film Development Corporation in the capital. Veteran film actor Akbar Khan Pathan Faruk called for the conference on behalf of Chalachitra Poribar. Nasir Uddin Yousuff Bachchu started the controversy while attending a rally of Bangladeshi cultural activists living in US. He called Khan Ataur Rahman a “Razakar” or a collaborator for Pakistani Army during the Liberation War of Bangladesh.
At the press conference eminent filmmakers like Amjad Hossain, CB Zaman, Azizur Rahman, Mushfiqur Rahman Gulzar and Khan Ataur Rahman’s son the singer Agun was present to share their thoughts on the issue.
Nasir Uddin in his beginning of speech first termed Khan Ataur Rahman as a talented director. But later in the second line he condemned Khan Ataur Rahman on grounds that Khan Ataur Rahman tarnished the idea of Independent Bangladesh right after the war with his film “Abar Tora Manush Ho.” He also claims that Khan Ataur Rahman signed a list of fifty collaborators of Pakistani Army in Bangladesh during the war.
Actor Faruk refuted the first blame saying the film was questioned for the same reason by the then government run by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. At that time Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya who himself was a fighter for the cause of Bangladesh during the war and now the Minister for Disaster Management and Relief reviewed the film and gave it the no-objection-certificate. Thus repetition of controversy over it is unnecessary.
Azizur Rhaman asked whether someone who kept on working despite threats from the Pakistani Army is worthy of the status of a Freedom Fighter or collaborator while referring to Khan Ataur Rahman.
