The acclaimed thespian will portray a judge in the play, directed by his former student Mohsina Akter and translated into Bangla by Anirudha Anu from German playwright Bertolt Brecht's original work.

Jamil Ahmed confirmed that this was not an official directive. However, his comments have sparked a social media backlash, with many theatre artists criticising the suggestion. Numerous posts have emerged condemning Jamil’s stance, with some also alleging that fellow veteran actor Ferdousi Majumdar had been given similar advice.

A gazette notification to this effect was issued on November 21 by Abul Hayat Md Rafiq, deputy secretary, Ministry of Public Administration, on behalf of the president. Jamil Ahmed will serve as director general with all the accompanying salary and benefits of a secretary-level position.

Syed Jamil Ahmed, the newly appointed director general of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, has called for the allocation of at least three percent of the national GDP for the cultural sector to make the academy financially capable and self-sufficient.

A prominent scholar in the field of theatre and arts, Syed Jamil Ahmed plays an integral part for the growth of theatre in Bangladesh. He is the founder of the Department of Theatre and Music in Dhaka University.