While actors, directors and producers in Bangladesh’s film industry are represented by dedicated organisations based at the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC), playback singers remain outside the institutional structure.
Unlike other film professionals, playback singers have no separate organisation and are not formally included under existing bodies. As a result, they lack access to facilities, representation and voting rights that are available to other industry members.
Singer Nazmun Munira Nancy has now brought the issue into the public domain, calling on the government to recognise music professionals as film artistes and extend official facilities and benefits to them. In an open letter shared on Facebook, and addressed to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, she highlighted what she described as the long-standing neglect of playback singers.
Nancy noted that despite music playing a central role in Bengali cinema, there is not even a designated space for singers at the BFDC. “Songs have been one of the strongest pillars of our films since the beginning, contributing to popularity, reach and commercial success,” she wrote. “Music professionals also receive National Film Awards, yet we are excluded from the facilities provided by the BFDC.”
She added that the Artistes’ Association does not grant membership or voting rights to music professionals. “At the BFDC, there are separate rooms for directors, producers and actors, but no space for us to sit, rest or rehearse. It is disheartening that those who contribute so significantly to films are denied even basic recognition,” she said.
Nancy further observed that while playback singers are regularly invited to festivals and film-related events, they continue to be overlooked in institutional assessments. She said she has raised the issue in discussions and television interviews in the past, but this is the first time she has formally addressed the Ministry
