Nabab LLB is a court room drama released on streaming services in Bangladesh. A scene from the film, accurately depicting the police's harsh and insensitive attitudes to victims of sexual assault, recently went viral. Soon after, the police arrested and charged the film's actors, Shakib Khan and Shakeen Mridha, and director, Anonno Mamun, over the film. They plan to arrest and charge the actress playing the assault victim as well, Orchita Sporshia. If found guilty, they face up to 7 years in prison, all for exercising their right as artists and exposing the terrible systems that help to perpetuate violence against women.

Here are some links to news articles about the incident:

https://www.newagebd.net/article/125368/nabab-llb-actor-director-sent-to-jail-in-pornography-case

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20201226-bangladesh-director-charged-after-film-depiction-of-police-angers-force

Violence against women has been on a terrifying rise in the country, with activists claiming that the scenes in the film accurately depict the dehumanisation, humiliation and rampant misogyny that happens to sexual assault survivors that choose to approach the police. According to human rights organisation Ain-o-Salish Kendra (ASK), there were over 630 reported cases of sexual assault, with 29 women killed after the assault while 5 others took their own life.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police see this as a case of "the opposite of healthy entertainment" and that it will "create negative perceptions about policing among the public". It is clear that they want nothing other than to snuff out criticism, something that would have been handled by the country's ridiculously strict censorship board. However, the film was released on streaming, which the law does not cover. Hence, the police have gone overboard and taken matters into their own hands. It is an attack on the awareness of a broken police system, the plight of survivors of sexual assault, and artistic freedoms.

The actors and director were charged with creating "pornography", and were sent to judicial custody by a Dhaka court on Friday, Dec 25 2020.

According to activist Rezaur Rahman Lenin, "these arrests are nothing new but the continuation of attacks on artistic freedom."

This petition demands that the Dhaka Metropolitan Police and the Bangladesh government release any and all cast and crew of Nabab LLB that have been illegally charged over the scenes in the film. The DMP are to issue a public apology and to not interfere with the release and production of any film, from the creators of Nabab LLB or others. This includes the second part of Nabab LLB, due to release in January 2021.

I urge you to sign this petition, to help elevate the exposure and criticism of a broken system that has failed the women of Bangladesh, and to help protect necessary artistic freedoms.