Film and cultural stakeholders gathered at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) in Dhaka on June 20 to discuss allocations for the film and culture sectors in the proposed FY2026-27 national budget, calling for increased investment, greater transparency and stronger institutional support for Bangladesh’s creative industries.
The seminar, titled ‘Allocations for Film and Culture Sectors in the Proposed FY2026-27 Budget’, was organised by the National Film Movement and held at the seminar room of the Theatre and Film Department of the BSA.
Among those attending were Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation General Secretary Kamal Bayezid, Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigosthi’s Film, Fine Arts and Research Secretary Sajib Tanvir, filmmaker Nargis Akter, producer Shahrin Sumi and Policy Think and Economic Research Centre Chairman Md Majedul Haque.
The discussion, moderated by filmmaker Akram Khan, featured a keynote paper presented by Bangladesh Federation of Film Societies General Secretary Mohammad Nurullah.
In his presentation, Nurullah described the proposed budget’s recognition of the creative economy as a significant development, noting that it marked the first time the sector had been formally identified as a key driver of national economic growth.
He said the initiative could create new opportunities for film, audiovisual content, animation, gaming, OTT platforms and other cultural industries.
Nurullah also highlighted the government’s proposed allocation of Tk300 crore for the creative economy, alongside plans to mobilise an additional Tk500 crore from Bangladesh Bank’s CSR fund, creating a combined Tk800 crore support framework for the sector.
However, speakers expressed concern that the overall allocation for culture remained inadequate. The proposed budget allocates Tk826 crore to the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, a figure participants said fell short of the long-standing demand for at least one per cent of the national budget to be dedicated to culture.
The seminar concluded with a series of recommendations, including raising cultural allocations to at least one per cent of the national budget, increasing creative economy funding to Tk500 crore, establishing a permanent National Creative Industries Commission, reopening closed cinema halls and improving cultural infrastructure at district and upazila levels.
Participants also called for the withdrawal of VAT and supplementary duties on the import of modern cinema equipment and proposed the formation of a dedicated cultural protection taskforce to ensure the safety of cultural activities and artists across the country.
Speakers unanimously agreed that greater investment in film and culture was essential to building a democratic, inclusive and humane Bangladesh.
