Bangladesh’s acclaimed filmmaker Mostafa Sarwar Farooki, who was vocal in favour of the student-led July uprising, took oath as an adviser to the interim government on Sunday, and his colleagues in the cultural arena took to social media to congratulate him on his new journey.
Farooki took his oath at Bangabhaban after 7pm on Sunday (November 10), alongside two other newly appointed advisers - Mahfuj Alam, who was the Chief Adviser’s special assistant, and Sheikh Bashir Uddin, Managing Director of AkijBashir Group.
Congratulating the director, Farooki’s wife actress Nusrat Imrose Tisha wrote: “Congratulations @farooki_mostofa for your new journey! Alhamdulillah.”
After the Awami League regime’s ouster on August 5, filmmaker Khijir Hayat Khan, another filmmaker known for standing with the student-led mass movement, joined the newly launched certification board (that replaced the censor) as a member. He congratulated Farooki on Facebook: “Finally an artiste (filmmaker) got a place on the Council of Advisers.”
Last September, popular writer and lyricist Latiful Islam Shibli was appointed as the new Executive Director of Kabi Nazrul Institute. “Congratulations my brother Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, now it's time to serve our country. Inshallah long way to go,” Shibli wrote congratulating Farooki.
Actor and host Shariar Nazim Joy wrote, “Congratulations Farooki Bhai. One of our very own, whom we trust. May your leadership begin with a message of peace.”
Besides, many other cultural personalities including director Matia Banu Shuku, singer Elita Karim, filmmaker Rashid Palash, director Mabrur Rashid Bannah, filmmaker Swapan Ahmed, Chorki CEO Redoan Rony, director Adnan Al Rajeev, singer Joy Shahriar, director Goutam Koiri and others congratulated Farooki as well.
Regarding his new role, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki wrote on his verified Facebook profile on Sunday night: “I have never been into any formal thing! However I took an oath today to serve my country as the Cultural Adviser! Simply because: 1) there is always this motivation to do something for the country which is irresistible 2) it’s always tempting to be a colleague of Prof Yunus!”
“Please wish me luck in this new journey and don’t forget to help me with your kind advice. I promise to do everything I can do to bring some changes,” Farooki wrote.