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Bangladesh Film Certification Board

autonomous · verified (verified 2026-05-17)

Profile

Head
—
Role
Chairman (ex officio: Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting)
Annual budget
—
Staff
—
Established
2024
Legal basis
Bangladesh Film Certification Act, 2023 (gazetted 13 November 2023), enacted under the President's approval; repealed the Censorship of Films Act, 1963 and associated Bangladesh Censorship of Film Rules, 1977. Board constituted under section 3(1) of the 2023 Act by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting notification dated 22 September 2024. Predecessor body: East Bengal Board of Film Censors (1952), renamed Bangladesh Film Censor Board (1972), formalised under 1977 Rules.

The BFCB is operational under the Bangladesh Film Certification Act, 2023 but implementing rules (bidhimala) remain un-gazetted as of May 2026, forcing the board to rely on the 1977 and 1985 Rules framed under the repealed 1963 Act. The board actively exercises its certification and suspension powers (Contract Marriage, May 2026) and has extended jurisdiction to OTT and digital platforms under the 2023 Act, though critics note that 13 of the Act's 21 sections retain censorship-style controls rather than pure rating functions.

Recent activity

Provenance & notes

The BFCB was constituted on 22 September 2024 under the Bangladesh Film Certification Act, 2023 (gazetted 13 November 2023), replacing the Bangladesh Film Censor Board whose roots trace to the East Bengal Board of Film Censors (1952). The chairperson is the Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting ex officio; current_head is left null because the specific incumbent secretary name could not be confirmed against the latest (2026) government order and the position changes with ministerial appointments. The board has 15 members. Implementing rules (bidhimala) required under the 2023 Act have not yet been gazetted; the board therefore operates under the Bangladesh Censorship of Film Rules, 1977 and 1985 as interim procedure. Ratings system: U (universal), UA (parental guidance for under-12), A (adults only), S (specific profession/class). OTT and digital platform content must obtain BFCB certification before streaming under the 2023 Act -- a provision critics say transforms the board into a controlling authority over digital content beyond its intended rating function. The established_year is set to 2024 (the year the BFCB was formally constituted), not 1952 or 1977 (those were predecessor bodies under different legislation). No public budget allocation data for BFCB as a standalone line item was found; it operates as a body under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting budget. The user's brief cited a 'Film Certification Act 2025' -- this was not found in any primary source; the operative law is the Bangladesh Film Certification Act, 2023 (gazetted November 2023); the board was constituted in September 2024 under that act. This discrepancy is noted.

Sources