Bangladesh court bans movie on factory disaster

High Court order says movie breached a previous order by the same court by screening gruesome images of the disaster

DHAKA: A top court in Bangladesh banned on Monday a movie depicting one of the world's worst industrial disasters for six months amid concerns that it would "negatively portray" the nation's $25 billion garment industry.

Two High Court judges gave the order, saying the movie, Rana Plaza, named after the ill-fated factory complex, breached a previous order by the same court by screening gruesome images of the disaster that killed 1,138 people in 2013.

"The court heard a writ filed by a labour group and banned screening of the film in the country and overseas for six months," Deputy Attorney General Mokleshur Rahman told AFP.

Read: Bangladesh charges Rana Plaza owner and 40 others with murder

"The judges imposed the ban following concerns that it would negatively portray Bangladesh's sensitive garment sector in the world and can also create [a] law and order problem in the country," he added.

Bangladesh's garment industry is worth $25 billion a year in exports.

The 137-minute film was scheduled to hit more than 100 theatres across the country on September 4 after it got clearance from the Bangladesh Film Censor Board in July.

It centres on the dramatic rescue of 19-year-old garment worker Reshma Akhter from the ruins of the nine-storey Rana Plaza 17 days after it collapsed.

Images of Akhter, dusty and dazed, being pulled from the wreckage appeared on newspaper front pages worldwide and turned her into a national heroine.

Read: Owner of collapsed Bangladesh factory to face murder charges

Akhter has since married her boyfriend and found a well-paid job at a hotel run by the international chain Westin, which approached her after her ordeal.

"The Rana Plaza is also about Reshma's love story, which tries to raise awareness about the life of the country's millions of woman garment workers," director of the movie Nazrul Islam Khan told AFP.

"I don't know what prompted the court to ban the film. Rana Plaza movie is about the tragedy at the factory complex," he said, adding he would appeal as he had already cut the scenes that were deemed to be "too cruel" by the censors.