After months of controversy, director Raihan Rafi’s much-talked-about web film Omimangshito has finally been cleared for release by the newly formed Bangladesh Film Certification Board. The film, which was earlier blocked for its striking resemblance to
the 2012 murder of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi, now holds official certification for public screening.
Starring Imtiaz Barshan and Tanzika Amin, the thriller first grabbed attention when its teaser dropped on February 12 this year, raising chilling questions: "Who killed Arnab and Niru? Who are the masked men?" The teaser quickly sparked speculation linking it to the unsolved West Rajabazar double murder case.
Originally scheduled to premiere on OTT platform iScreen on February 29, the film’s release was halted following an order from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, which instructed it to be submitted to the censor board. The former board rejected it, citing “gruesome depictions of murder” and “disturbing similarities with real-life events still under judicial review.”
After a change in government and the formation of a new certification board in August, the film was re-evaluated. Certification Board Vice-Chairman Md Abdul Jalil confirmed that Omimangshito received clearance after the filmmakers formally appealed.
Despite the approval, director Raihan Rafi stated that no final release date has been set yet. iScreen’s project director Rafael Mahbub also mentioned that while the film remains on their platform’s slate, the premiere date is still pending.
Rafi maintains that Omimangshito is a work of fiction addressing unresolved violence in society. The film is one of 94 projects certified by the board in the last 10 months.
