Unrest in Bangladesh: Earlier this week, violent protests erupted across the nation, and in a startling event, a film producer in Bangladesh with ties to the West Bengal film business and his son were both killed by an untamed crowd. On Monday, Shanto Khan, a performer, and Selim Khan, the notorious head of the Lakshmipur Model Union Parishad (UP), were brutally murdered.
বাংলাদেশের এই কঠিন সময়ে আমার প্রার্থনা বাংলাদেশের মানুষদের জন্য। যে সমস্ত ঘটনা সামনে আসছে সেটা খুবই দুঃখজনক। এই ধরনের মর্মান্তিক দৃশ্যের সাক্ষী হওয়া হৃদয়বিদারক।
আশা করি এই কঠিন সময় খুব তাড়াতাড়ি পেরিয়ে যাবো। প্রতিটা জীবনই মূল্যবান তাই যে কোনও মূল্যে সেটা রক্ষা হওয়া…
— Jeet (@jeet30) August 5, 2024
The Incident: Selim Khan and Shanto Khan’s Deaths
At Balia Union’s Forkkabad Bazaar, the actor-producer team ran into an irate mob while attempting to escape their neighborhood, according to Dhaka Tribune. In an attempt to disperse the throng and defend themselves, the father and son fired bullets from their handguns, but they came into another mob close by.
Following the crowd’s thrashing of Selim Khan and his son Shanto, who subsequently died from their wounds, other sections of the nation were rocked by violence on Monday, including student group fights, police shootings, and mob violence that claimed over a hundred lives. Locals had accused Selim Khan of taking sand unlawfully from the Padma-Meghna River; as a result, he was imprisoned and faced ongoing proceedings at the Anti-Corruption Commission.
Background: Accusations and Legal Troubles on Selim Khan
Selim was identified as the owner and director of Shapla Media, the company behind the successful movies “Shahenshah” and “Bidrohi.” He was perceived as a producer close to Prime Minister Hasina’s ouster. He wrote and directed a biographical film about Hasina’s father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the first President of Bangladesh.
According to accounts, his film “Tungi Parar Miya Bhai,” which was based on the early years of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, helped to establish the acting career of his son Shanto Khan, who went on to feature in several additional films produced by his father. This is the first known murder in the nation of an actor who represented Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on screen.
Reactions from the Film Community
His passing profoundly impacted actress Kaushani Mukhopadhyay, who costarred with Shanto Khan in the Bangladeshi movie Piya Re. “It’s unbelievable that he’s gone. She noted that Shanto was well-respected and aspired to influence the business greatly.
Several Bengali actors, however, have voiced worries about what is happening in Bangladesh. “During this trying moment, my prayers are with the people of Bangladesh… Seeing such horrible scenes is heartbreaking. I’m hoping that this trying period would end quickly,” Tollywood star Jeet wrote on X.
Widespread Violence and Unrest
Another Bengali superstar, Dev, stated, “I had been to Bangladesh several times and was floored by the hospitality of the people there.” Salim Khan, a friend and Bangladeshi producer, and his actor son Shanto were beaten to death in Chandpur today. Salim Khan had co-produced the unscreened movie “Commando” with Dev. In a Facebook post, actress Pori Moni from Bangladesh, who had just collaborated with a Tollywood filmmaker, urged peace.
READ: Bangladesh in Turmoil After PM Sheikh Hasina’s Resignation Amid Deadly Protests