'Taandob' film screening halted in Tangail's Kalihati due to security concerns amid protests by Ulama Parishad

Organisers have been compelled to halt screening of the popular film 'Taandob' at Auliabad in Tangail's Kalihati due to security concerns amid protests by a local religious group. 

The screening was halted this afternoon (10 June) at the District Council's Community Center cum Multipurpose Hall.

The controversy began last Friday when leaders from Parki union's Ulama Parishad staged a protest march against the film. Following the demonstration, a written request was submitted to the upazila nirbahi officer to cease the film's screening.

Released on Eid-ul-Adha, 'Taandob' has been showing across 132 theaters nationwide. In Kalihati's Auliabad, organisers Kamruzzaman Saiful and Saju Mehedi rented the District Council's Community Center cum Multipurpose Hall for the film's screenings. The hall was authorised for screening for one month and the organisers had paid rent for ten days.

One of the protesters, Maulana Abdullah, said, "The film might disrupt education at mosques, madrasas, and other institutions. It could also lead to anti-social activities.

"For these reasons, we organised the protest march and submitted the memorandum demanding the hall's closure," he said.

Organiser Saju Mehedi said that despite investing over Tk9 lakh — including expenses for air conditioning servicing, ticket printing, and volunteers — the film could only be screened for about two and a half days. 

"We were receiving a good response, but faced obstacles in promotion, such as being denied permission to put up posters or use loudspeakers," he added.

Kamruzzaman Saiful lamented the losses caused by the local religious leaders and urged others to remain vigilant to prevent similar incidents. 

"From the start, the response was positive. Even though people from nearby areas like Balla, Parki, and Birbassin didn't come, audiences from Sakhipur and Mirzapur were strong," he said. 

He also said that after putting up a banner outside the hall, it was removed within two minutes. 

"I started receiving threats in various ways. We were forced to stop due to lack of security," he added.

Kalihati Police Station Officer-in-Charge Zakir Hossain said members of the Ulama Parishad had come to the station. 

"I told them I am not the authority to make a decision on this matter," he said.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Khairul Islam said he had received the closure request at his office but he was on leave.

District Council Chief Executive Officer Md Safiqul Islam said, "We rented the hall based on an intelligence agency's investigation and set conditions, including stopping the film if law and order deteriorated. What happened afterwards, I do not know."