DHAKA, July 28, 2023 (BSS) - Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud has said though the barbed wire on the border divided Bangladesh and West Bengal of India, it could not break the bond of the hearts of the people of the two Bengals. 
 
"Bangladesh and West Bengal have common culture, heritage, rivers and soil," he said while inaugurating the 5th Bangladesh Film Festival as the chief guest at Nandan-1 cinema hall in South Kolkata on Thursday evening, said a press release here today.
 
The minister said if the filmmakers and other concerned of the two Bengals work together, Bangla film will dominate at the world stage.
 
Hasan said film industry began its journey in Bangladesh at the hands of the architect of independent Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
 
Film is an important medium through which people can know history of hundreds of years and even it can draw picture of future too, he observed.
 
He hoped Bangladesh Film Festival will get success like previous years with the cooperation of all.
 
West Bengal's School Education Minister Bratya Basu joined the event as the guest of honour while film director Goutam Ghosh was present as the special guest.
 
Bratya Basu said the language and culture of two Bengals are not different and in this perspective, "I think this is a film festival of the two Bengals. In the fifth year, the films definitely attract the people of West Bengal."
 
"We want a festival should be held in Bangladesh on films of Kolkata. Talks are underway in this regard," he said.
 
Bangladesh lawmaker Aroma Dutta, additional secretary Md Faruq Ahmed, Bangladesh Deputy High Commissioner in Kolkata Andalib Elias, Bangladeshi actor Ferdous Ahmed, actresses Purnima, Aruna Biswas and Nusrat Faria, Indian singer Rupankar Bagchi and Bangladeshi singer Priyanka Gope, among others, joined the programme.
 
Under the initiative of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata arranged the 3-day film festival at the historic Nandan-1 and 2 cinema hall from July 29 to 31. 
 
A total of 24 films including 'Hasina-A Daughter's Tale', JK-1971, Birkanya Pritilata, Lalsharee, Guerilla, Damal, Paran and Gunin will be showed in the open film festival from 1pm to 8pm every day.