Javadekar in Dhaka, discusses cooperation for Bangabandhu film

Indian Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar met his Bangladeshi counterpart Hasan Mahmud in Dhaka on Tuesday and discussed a host of issues, including cooperation in the production of two films, on the Bangladesh Liberation War and another on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Javadekar, who is in Dhaka to attend the 15th meeting of the Governing Council of South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP), tweeted: "Met Information Minister of Bangladesh Dr Hasan Mahmud in Dhaka and discussed a host of issues. Cooperation in two film production - Story of Liberation of Bangladesh and Bangabandhu."

"We had a very good discussion on many topics - cultural and political, particularly on film industry and television," Javadekar told reporters in Dhaka.

He said that India has started broadcasting state-run Bangladesh Television (BTV) throughout India while Bangladesh has also started airing India's state-owned Doordarshan (DD) TV.

Javadekar said he invited Hasan to India's Pune to visit some renowned film institutes and archives.

Hasan urged his visiting Indian counterpart to "remove barriers" to the broadcasting of Bangladeshi private TV channels in West Bengal and other parts of India where cable operators "visibly created obstacles" for their airing.

In a joint media briefing after a meeting with Javadekar on Tuesday, Hasan said he pointed out during the talks that West Bengal's cable operators were demanding "high fees", virtually barring the Bangladeshi TV channels there, the media reported.

"He (Javadekar) said he would look into the issue," Hasan said.

Hasan added that Indians could now watch BTV programs "but the viewers particularly of West Bengal could not watch the Bangladeshi private channels though there is no barrier on the Indian Government's part."IANS