An Eid special tele-fiction titled ‘Ghotona Shotto’, starring popular actors Mehazabien Chowdhury and Afran Nisho, has sparked huge criticism for insensitively addressing children with special needs.
Directed by Rubel Hasan and released under the banner of Central Music and Video (CMV), the tele-fiction was enlisted as part of private television station Channel i’s Eid-Ul-Azha special programmes, and it was uploaded on CMV’s YouTube channel.
The tele-fiction tales the story of a couple, acted by Afran Nisho as a driver and Mehazabien Chowdhury as a housemaid, who mischievously deceive their service-takers. Later in the tele-fiction showcases that the couple was bestowed with a child with special needs, wondering if their child’s condition is a result of their misdeeds.
After the telecast of the tele-fiction, Amrin Zaman, a mother, first addressed the issue on Sunday at a Facebook live video. A large number of audiences have since expressed their disgust on social media over the portrayed message, raising questions about the sensitivity of the makers towards the topic of children with special needs.
Members of several Facebook-based platforms including Autism Bangladesh, a public group to raise awareness and advocate for the persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndromes, Intellectual and Neurological Disabilities on behalf of the children and persons with special needs, have also expressed massive dissatisfaction and anger over the tele-fiction and its associates, with some even considering to file a case against the casts, crews and makers. —UNB
