The much-anticipated film Emergency, directed and starring Kangana Ranaut, is set to release in India on Friday, January 17. However, it has been banned in Bangladesh due to strained diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Sources from Bangladesh's intelligence agencies said that the country's interim government believes the political thriller, which portrays historical figures and events, could provoke strong reactions among Bangladeshis.
Although the Bangladesh government has not issued an official statement, it has clearly informed theater owners that the film will not be screened in the country. The decision is believed to be linked to recent tensions between India and Bangladesh.
One of the key reasons for the ban may be the film’s portrayal of the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, a major figure in Bangladesh’s history.
“The Bangladesh government has already removed Rahman’s name from textbooks as a freedom fighter who declared the country’s liberation. Now, they are banning a film that shows India's role in Bangladesh’s liberation,” said an intelligence officer.
Also Read: Glad we got a release: Kangana on 'Emergency'
Officials from India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) noted that the film's ban will likely escalate existing tensions between the two countries. “The ban is less about the film’s content and more about the political situation between India and Bangladesh. We should have kept cultural issues separate,” said an MEA official.
Tensions between the nations have already been high due to disputes over border fencing and maritime routes. Recently, Bangladesh reopened direct maritime trade with Pakistan, marking the first such move since the country’s liberation in 1971.
In the past month, two cargo ships have arrived in Bangladesh from Karachi, with one shipment containing seismic explosives. Meanwhile, the Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka was summoned over the ongoing border issues.
This followed tensions in Malda district, where India’s Border Security Force (BSF) tried to build a barbed-wire fence, and the Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB) objected, calling it “unauthorised.”
Also Read: Indira Gandhi was weak, unsure of herself: Kangana
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