Information secretary AMM Nasiruddin also reportedly assured members of the Bangladesh Film Producers and Distributors Association (BFPDA) of meeting their 12-point demand last week.

The BFPDA had decided to stop investing in cinema production after the information ministry began contemplating using the anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) to check vulgarity in films and movie posters.

"We are also conducting a movement against vulgarism for a long time and have submitted the 12-point demand to the information ministry in March. Without taking necessary action based on those points, using the RAB to protect the film industry would become merely a stunt rather than a practical solution," said BFPDA president KMR Manjur.

Rumours of the RAB swinging into action had created panic among the film producers and distributors.

"It is not possible to continue normal work amidst the presence of law enforcers of the RAB or the police. Producers get discouraged to invest in such atmosphere," said Ashrafuddin Ahmed Ujjal, general secretary of BFPDA.

Uzzal added that now the producers were more careful about posters and banners on display in their offices.

When the news of possible deployment of the RAB broke out, vulgar posters suddenly started disappearing from the walls the city and also from the offices of the producers. But after the home ministry's assurance, indecent posters have returned once again.

If the producers and distributors had stopped investing in cinemas, it would have had a damaging effect on the whole industry.

"More than 20,000 people work at the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) alone and over 50,000 families are dependant in one way or the other on the film industry. The total turnover per year is around Tk. 200 crore. Every year atleast 70 cinemas are released and another hundred wait in the pipeline," informed Ujjal.

"Because of certain government policies, the film industry is unable to attract audience and has failed to generate more income. The government receives Tk. 10 crore every year from the cinema industry, 50 percent of which comes from ticket sales," said Ujjal.Ujjal added that quality cinema halls encourage production of good cinemas. "The government should make it mandatory for cinema hall owners to maintain standard."The BFPDA's 12-point demand includes enacting a law against illegal videos and pirated CDs of Bangla films within the existing intellectual property act. A draft law calls for five-year imprisonment and a penalty of Tk. five lakhs for video and CD piracy and for showing films on television through the cable. The Home Minister and Inspector General of Police will be responsible for searching for illegal videos and CDs in the market.The information secretary said that the bill would be placed in the Parliament soon. The second point is to prepare a contemporary censor code to match the taste and demand of the audience of this generation. A sample of the censor code is expected to be submitted to the information ministry seeking its permission so that the directors can make commercial movies based on the modern censor code.

The third point is to prepare a regulatory act for screening Bangla films on terrestrial and satellite television.

The fourth point calls for stringent measures against import of vulgar foreign films.The fifth demand is for a bar on airing foreign channels which are not suitable for our culture and motion pictures that start during shows at cinema halls. This strategy is designed to generate more income for the government exchequer as it will attract more people to cinema halls.

The sixth point demanded representation of the BFPDA in committees formed by the information ministry and all committees of the BFDC. The seventh point calls for not allowing Bangladesh Television (BTV) to collect films from sources other than members of the BFPDA. The eighth point is for wiping out entertainment tax for good films so that producers are encouraged to invest in them. The ninth point is developing policies so that taxes are waived on imported raw materials and making provisions for producers to obtain bank loans for their films.The tenth point is to establish a film institute and to introduce graduation courses on cinema in universities. The eleventh point is for providing funds to renovate cinema halls so that they can screen cinemascope films with Dolby Noise Reduction facilities.

The twelfth point is to waive electricity charges during peak hours."The Film Development Corporation is a profitable venture and it demands the government's attention. The government has earned Tk. 457 crore since the establishment of the BFDC," said Ujjal.