Farzana Rahman, Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, issued a notice on September 7 regarding a meeting to review the “alternative use” of Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) land and resources, as well as a possible golden handshake for employees.
Filmmakers alleged the move was a step toward handing BFDC over to private interests. Veteran filmmaker Matin Rahman called the development “painful,” warning that privatization would sideline the film industry’s interests in favour of corporate ones.
The meeting, held on September 9 at the ministry, was attended by BFDC Managing Director (MD) Masuma Rahman Tani, Director (Administration and Finance) Kamal Mohammad Rashed, Accounting Officer Md. Hemayet Hossain and senior officials from the Public Administration and Finance Ministry.
Dismissing the allegations, Tani said, “There is no question of privatizing BFDC. There was no talk about it in the meeting. We have no such plans.”
She explained that the discussions focused on long-pending retirement benefits and the possibility of voluntary retirements for employees who have served more than 25 years. “This money is their rightful due,” she said, adding that a golden handshake scheme could ease financial pressure on the struggling corporation.
Currently, 84 BFDC employees have completed over 25 years of service, with 12 to 13 expressing interest in voluntary retirement. Meanwhile, 60 employees have already retired but are yet to receive their benefits, estimated at Tk 17 crore.
BFDC owns land in three locations: 7 acres at Tejgaon (with the new ‘BFDC Complex’ under construction on 94 kathas), 60 kathas at Bhashantek and 105 acres at Kabirpur in Gazipur.
The corporation, which employs 218 staff, spends Tk 90 to Tk 95 lakh monthly on salaries and allowances. Since 2010, it has been running at a loss, surviving since 2015 entirely on government borrowing. Salaries are often delayed by months.
Officials said reducing staff costs through voluntary retirement could help sustain BFDC until projects like the ‘BFDC Complex’ and ‘Kabirpur Film City’, still four to five years away, are completed.
