‘Lalsalu’, ‘Chitra Nodir Pare’ removed from Biman Bangladesh’s catalogue
Filmmaker Tanvir Mokammel has raised questions over the removal of his acclaimed films “Lalsalu” and “Chitra Nodir Pare” from Biman Bangladesh Airlines’ in-flight entertainment system. Following his Facebook post on the matter, Prothom Alo contacted the distributor and Biman authorities to verify the reason behind the decision.
According to Kazi Riton, proprietor of Black and White, the company that supplies films for Biman’s in-flight entertainment, several of Mokammel’s films had been screened on Biman flights for years. However, around two months ago, they were informed that “Lalsalu” and “Chitra Nodir Pare” would no longer be shown.
Speaking to Prothom Alo on Tuesday afternoon, Riton said, “We were informed that the two films had been screened for more than 10 years. So, a decision was made not to screen them for the time being. They will be shown again later.”
Biman Bangladesh Airlines also clarified that the removal was part of its regular content rotation and was not specific to the two films.
In a written statement sent to The Daily Star on Tuesday evening, Mohiuddin Ahmed, general manager of Biman’s Public Relations Department, said the airline regularly updates its in-flight entertainment system. Its catalogue of films, TV shows and audio content is generally changed on a quarterly basis, primarily due to licensing agreements, storage limitations and passenger preferences.
He also added, "Biman Bangladesh Airlines regularly rotates its in-flight entertainment (IFE) content, including films, TV shows and audio programmes, as part of its scheduled content cycle.
According to Biman, the airline does not own the content it screens. Instead, it obtains temporary screening rights through content service providers and media brokers under licensing agreements valid for a specific period. Once a licensing cycle ends, the content has to be removed."
He also mentioned in the statement, "The airline also has limited storage capacity on its aircraft, making it necessary to remove older content to accommodate new titles. Regularly updating the IFE catalogue also helps maintain passenger satisfaction, particularly among frequent and business travellers.
The content is processed and adapted for the specific hardware used on each aircraft before being uploaded while the aircraft is on the ground. Due to this process, IFE updates are carried out according to a scheduled cycle."
“Lalsalu”, directed by Mokammel, was released in 2001 and won multiple National Film Awards. The film stars Raisul Islam Asad, Ali Zaker, Tauquir Ahmed, Mehbooba Mahnoor Chandni, Amirul Haque Chowdhury, Chitralekha Guha, Raushan Jamil and Munira Yusuf Memy, among others.
“Chitra Nodir Pare”, released in 1998, also received multiple National Film Awards. The film features Mamunur Rashid, Afsana Mimi, Tauquir Ahmed, Raushan Jamil and Sumita Devi, among others.
According to Biman, the airline does not own the films and programmes it screens. It purchases temporary screening rights from media brokers through content service providers. These licensing agreements provide streaming rights for a specific period, after which the content has to be removed in accordance with the terms of the agreement.
Biman also cited limited physical server storage inside its aircraft as another reason for regularly removing older content to make room for new additions.
The airline said the regular rotation of films, TV shows and audio content is also intended to maintain passenger satisfaction.
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