Bangladesh Film Festival has started in Kolkata. It is for the third time. This time there are 32 films in Bangladesh. Last year the number of film was 22. The three-day fest was inaugurated on Friday (February 5) at Kolkata Nandan-1

Hasan Mahmud, Minister for Information of Bangladesh inaugurated the festival.

The inaugural function was attended by Bratya Basu, Minister for Science, Technology and Biotechnology, Government of West Bengal and Harshvardhan Sringla, Foreign Secretary, India. Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Mohammad Imran and renowned film director Gautam Ghosh were present as special guests.

Information Minister Hasan Mahmud said told that Bangladeshi film started with the hands of Bangabandhu. After Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, daughter of Bangabandhu, took charge of Bangladesh, India-Bangladesh films are being made jointly. Which was not before. No matter what happens between India and Bangladesh, there can be no division in culture. Our real identity is Bengali. We need to increase more cultural exchanges. This will increase the proximity of the two Bengals.

Bratya Basu said it is not right to bring politics with art and literature for development in the society. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the nation of Bangladesh, is a unique resource in Bangladesh and West Bengal and all over the world.

The third 'Bangladesh Film Festival' in Kolkata will be open to the public from 12 noon to 8 pm every day at Nandan-1, 2 and 3 of the traditional Rabindra Sadan in Kolkata on February 5-11 in collaboration with the Information Ministry of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Deputy-High Commission, Kolkata.