The Bangladeshi film industry has shown signs of revival in the recent Eid seasons, with multiple box office successes offering hope to a sector that has struggled for years, with the pandemic and political unrest making things worse.
However, the renewed momentum is now facing a serious threat from a growing piracy crisis that industry insiders say could cripple its progress, if left unchecked, reports UNB.
Following the release of the Shakib Khan-starrer Eid-Ul-Fitr blockbuster 'Borbaad', its director Mehedi Hasan Hridoy and producer Shahreen Akhter Sumi filed a complaint with Gulshan Police Station against piracy attempts.
A similar response was observed last year when two individuals were arrested for pirating Raihan Rafi's film 'Surongo', marking the silver screen debut of popular television actor Afran Nisho.
Many filmmakers fear that the recent lucrative earning trend of Bangla cinema may not be sustainable, if piracy continues at the current pace.
"The piracy situation is not just concerning-it's frightening," said film reviewer and actor Syed Nazmus Sakib. "We need both public awareness and immediate action from the law-enforcement agencies to protect our films. Otherwise, no amount of box office success will be enough to keep this industry alive."
As the industry navigates its way towards recovery, stakeholders remain hopeful that a combination of legal measures and public cooperation can help curb piracy and sustain the growing momentum in local cinema.
According to multiple sources, piracy networks - believed to be linked with international groups operating in India and the Middle East - are now actively targeting Bangladeshi releases.
These groups reportedly leak high-quality versions of new films within days of release, including clean hall prints within six hours, HDTS within 48 hours, and WEB-RIP or WEB-DL formats even before the films reach OTT platforms.
According to industry insiders, this level of piracy was previously rare due to lack of modern theaters in Bangladesh. However, they believe this has changed, pointing to 'Borbaad' as the first clear example of a coordinated hall-print leak.
There are now suspicions that these piracy groups may have acquired ownership or influence over cinema halls, giving them direct access to projection systems. More alarmingly, producers are reportedly being extorted.
These movie pirates are allegedly demanding large sums of money from producers in exchange for not leaking a film. If refused, the films are sold to betting and gambling platforms. These networks can bypass all local server protections - except DCP encryption - allowing them to make unauthorised copies from cinema servers. The HD version of 'Borbaad' that spread online was reportedly leaked through such a method.
The sector insiders also warn that this trend of piracy could devastate local cinema. Despite films like Shakib Khan's 'Taandob', Shariful Razz-Mosharraf Karim starrer 'Insaaf', and Tanim Noor's multistarrer film 'Utshob', which are drawing large audiences during the Eid-ul-Azha festival, many others have underperformed due to leaked versions reducing theater footfall.
In response, the team behind 'Taandob' has taken a firm stance. At a press conference on Sunday (June 8), director Raihan Rafi and producer Shahriar Shakil announced aggressive anti-piracy measures.
"This is not a request. Piracy is a crime. Anyone posting videos from the theater will have their pages or IDs taken down," Shahriar Shakil said.
He added, "We have already traced the sources of some leaks. If any single-screen halls are found responsible, we will take strict legal action. No one has the right to spoil the experience for paying audiences. Even posting short clips is piracy."
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