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Controversial Bangla web series, August 14 and Boomerang, are in the eye of the storm for beaming vulgar and obscene scenes. An in-depth report by Tabassum, exclusively for Different Truths.
Recently some streaming platforms arrived in Bangladesh. Netizens of Bangladesh welcomed such platforms namely Netflix, Hoichoi, etc., which are hugely popular. Binge, Cinespot, Bongo, KUUK are other platforms where Bangladeshi web series are launched. For few days social media, media platforms are heating up with the Bangla web series, August 14, which is based on the girl Oishee Rahman, who murdered her parents on July 31, 2013. The names of other web series also popped up as well like Boomerang, Sodor Ghater Tiger, Abashik Hotel, Send me Nudes, Dhoka, Phone X, Kuwasha, etc. The charge against these films is nudity, obscenity sex scenes.
Netizens of Bangladesh welcomed such platforms namely Netflix, Hoichoi, etc., which are hugely popular. Binge, Cinespot, Bongo, KUUK are other platforms where Bangladeshi web series are launched. For few days social media, media platforms are heating up with the Bangla web series, August 14, which is based on the girl Oishee Rahman, who murdered her parents on July 31, 2013.
A lawyer has sent a legal notice on Sunday (June 14, 2020) to the Information Ministry, The Home Ministry, the Chairman and Director of (legal) of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, IG (Police) and Deputy Inspector General of CID’s Cyber Police Bureau. The notice is seeking the removal of inappropriate sites in Bangladesh within 24 hours. The notice said that the inaction and apathy of the concerned authorities in regards to unlimited streaming of immoral and reprehensible video content were evidently contributing to societal moral degradation. The notice then outlined how specific web contents were an “apparent violation of the Pornography Control Act, 2012 and the Digital Security Act, 2018.” On June 17th Information Minister Hasan Mahmud has said that the government is going to take action against all “illegal and immoral” web contents.
In the notice, two web series, August 14 and Boomerang, from the new Bangladeshi streaming platform Binge of ‘questionable scenes’ and not displaying sufficient disclaimers when depicting cigarette or alcohol consumption. The notice stated that shows a threat to the country’s social and cultural norms. The recipients of the notice were asked to respond within seven days to why there should not be a separate set of rules for web-based media streaming services. Failure to do so would initiate legal proceedings “in a competent court of law,” added the notice. Boomerang has already been taken down from streaming platform Binge.
Bangladesh has Pornography Act 2012 and blocked many porn websites. But users have always found ways to visit those sites using VPN. There are many contents in Facebook and YouTube which can be branded as “an apparent violation of the Pornography Control Act, 2012 and The Digital Security Act, 2018”.
Bangladesh has Pornography Act 2012 and blocked many porn websites. But users 
have always found ways to visit those sites using VPN. There are many contents in Facebook and YouTube which can be branded as “an apparent violation of the Pornography Control Act, 2012 and The Digital Security Act, 2018”.
The question is, what is moral or immoral? What is obscenity? What are the contents of ethical, societal moral degradation? This is a very grey area to determine such answers. David by Michelangelo or famous sculptures, paintings depicting Greek God and goddesses are to be considered as obscene? Or there should be a ban to visit Ajanta Ellora cave painting and Khajuraho in India? Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence was banned for obscenity. Buddhadeb Basu’s Rat Bhore Brishti was prohibited on the grounds of vulgarity, in 1967, and Samaresh Basu’s Prajapati was banned on the charge of obscenity. Last Tango in Paris, starring legendary actor Marlon Brando was halted due to explicit sexual contents, in 1972. These are only a few examples.
First of all, we need to think of the disclaimer and rating. The producers and directors need to be more cautious about the rating. The violation of the disclaimers when depicting cigarette or alcohol consumption cannot be accepted. It should be mandatory to display disclaimers regarding cigarette or alcohol consumption. The web series platforms should be more conscious about the rating. The accusations regarding the web series are due to the lack of guidance and monitoring. There is no separate set of rules for web-based media streaming services.
First of all, we need to think of the disclaimer and rating. The producers and directors need to be more cautious about the rating. The violation of the disclaimers when depicting cigarette or alcohol consumption cannot be accepted. It should be mandatory to display disclaimers regarding cigarette or alcohol consumption. The web series platforms should be more conscious about the rating. The accusations regarding the web series are due to the lack of guidance and monitoring. There is no separate set of rules for web-based media streaming services. If there is to be a distinct kind of regulations for web-based media streaming services, how separate and different can these be from mainstream media? By imposing canon law, similar rules would be suffocating to the freedom of expression and freedom of the creative process.
We cannot censor or place separate guidelines for Netflix and Hoichoi. Then why on these local media streaming services? All of these are paying channels. Netflix has locked up system and options for parents where local web-based media services do not have such opportunities. Such options might be adopted by the Bangladeshi web series streaming apps.
We need to think about the relevance of the sexual contents of the scenes with the plot of the storyline. It is not acceptable that directors unnecessarily use explicit sexual materials.
We need to think about the relevance of the sexual contents of the scenes with the plot of the storyline. It is not acceptable that directors unnecessarily use explicit sexual materials.
The rising concern is the availability of the adult contents from web series on Facebook and YouTube. Any subscriber of the web series can share or distribute on Facebook and YouTube. Availability of free adult contents can have a far-reaching impact, especially in rural areas.
The authorities and the directors have responsibilities to society. It is the director’s responsibility to decide what is vulgar and what is not. Directors should choose to use relevant sexual contents without violating their freedom of artistic and aesthetic expression. The app owners should take the responsibility of placing the disclaimer and rating and the lock option. The government should monitor the balance where guidelines are not violated and where freedom of expression is intact. And finally, the society and the families should take the duty to determine the moral standards for themselves and their children because the term ‘morality’ varies from individual to individual.
Photo from the Internet
