Farooki speaks out in support for Bidyanondo

Yesterday, noted director Mostofa Sarwar Farooki took to social media to talk about the recent criticism being directed at Bidyanondo. The director would also go on to share his thoughts and feelings about the treatment towards religious minorities in the country.

In the post, Farooki would write, "Today, let me tell you a story about Hindu names. One of my earliest co-workers was the cinematographer, Subrata Das Ripon. I still remember how he would always request me to write his name as 'Subrata Ripon' in the credits. Even though I understood the reason, I would always feel a sense of guilt because of this. Ripon fell ill during his first feature film, 'Third Person Singular Number'.  After completing the shooting, he would go to India for treatment."

"He had been diagnosed with cancer, which was at the final stage, leaving us unsure whether he would be able to survive. The day before he left for India, he visited me. However, I could not go in front of him and look him in the eyes. Yet, I went. At one point, I pulled him away from the others and said, 'Ripon, I will give your full name in the credit this time, okay?'. Ripon pleaded with me. Even though I tried to force him, he would not agree under any conditions. While this incident may seem trivial to you, it shows the history of our collective failure. It is still a matter of great discomfort for me that we could not make him feel safe or comfortable to use his own surname," continued the post.

He would then mention how he has been seeing articles criticising and attacking Kishor Kumar Das, the founder of Bidyanondo, since Tuesday. Farooki even noted how these attacks had been ugly at times, with Kishor Kumar Das' religious identity being attacked.

All of this reminded Farooki about how Ripon had felt. The director would go on to write, "Tisha and I have been big fans of Bidyanondo's work since it was originally formed. If you look at both of our profiles, you will see it clearly. For me, Bidyanondo is one of the most successful institutions operating in Bangladesh since our independence. Kishor Kumar Das is a hero to me. I have even told Tisha at times that if you ever have to make an inspiring film about someone's life, then Kishor Kumar Das is the ideal subject."

"There are many conspiracy theories going around about Bidyanondo. I don't know what is true and what is a lie. But from what I can see, from the outside, I can say that Bidyanondo is still one of the most important institutions for me. Kumar is a hero and he even made me recall Ripon on this Chaitra afternoon," concluded Farooki's post.