Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday urged  the film industry to focus more on the country's independence war and sacrifice of the masses besides providing entertainment. “Besides giving entertainment, films can reform the society, educate the people, imbibe them with patriotism and advance the country towards prosperity,” she said. She was speaking at a function to distribute the National Film Awards 2020 to the winners in 27 categories. Read: PM gives away National Film Awards to 32 winners The programme was held at Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC), while the PM joined it through video link from her official residence Ganobhaban. Hasina said that films mirror life and they can also reform the society. “Films can contribute hugely toward social reform, teach philosophy and history," she said. She mentioned that films can spread the facts among the mass people about the real history of the country's independence. She said people can learn about many unknown national events through films. She also mentioned that cinemas have power to help remove irregularities and indiscipline from the society. “And I believe that.” She also mentioned that films can be a poweful medium to spread the sense of responsibility and accountability towards the country and its people. The PM said that she plans to equip the film industry of the country with modern technologies. “For that we need to transform the cinema halls at the upazila level into cineplexes” she said. She said that the government has created a Tk 1000-crore fund for this purpose. She also put emphasis on transforming the analog system of old cinemas into digital one for the new generation. The Prime Minister elaborated various steps of her government for the development of the film industry and welfare of the artistes and film makers.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday distributed the National Film Awards 2020 to the 32 winners in 27 categories. The award giving ceremony was held at Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC). Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud handed over the awards to the winners, on behalf of the prime minister, who joined the programme through video link from her official residence Ganobhaban. Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting  Ministry Hasanul Huq Inu and Information and Broadcasting Secretary Md. Mokbul Hossain were also present at the programme. Anwara Begum and Raisul Islam Asad jointly got the lifetime achievement award. The film Gor and Bishwasundari jointly bagged best film award. Read: Globetrotter Najmun Nahar wins 3 awards on Int’l Women’s Day Government-financed short film, Aarong, won best award in this category. Bangabandhur Rajnaitik Jiban o Bangladesh-er Abhyudoy was named  the best documentary film award. Gazi Rakayet won the best director award for Gor. His film Gor was named for awards in ten categories and Chayanika Chowdhury-directed film Bishwasundari for awards in eight categories. Siam Ahmed has been named the best actor award in the principal in Bishwasundari and the best supporting actor award went to Fazlur Rahman Babu in the same film. Deepanwita Martin bagged the best actress award for the principal in Gor. The best supporting actress award went to Aparna Ghosh for Gondi. Misha Sawdagor was awarded the best villain award for Bir. The best child actor award went to Mugdhota Morshed for Gondi and Mohammad Shahadat Hasan Badhon won the special award in the child actor category for Aarong. Read: Info Ministry announces national film awards 2020 winners Belal Khan won the best music director award for Hridoy Jurey. Mohammad Sahidur Rahman won the best dance director award posthumously for Bishwasundari. Mohammad Mahmudul Haque Imran won the best male singer award for the song Tui Ki Amar Hobi Re in the film Bishwasundari. The best female singer award jointly went to Dilshad Nahar Kona for the song Tui Ki Amar Hobi Re in the film Bishwasundari and Somnur Monir Konal for her song Bhalobasar Manush Tumi in the film Bir. The best lyricist award went to Kabir Bakul for his song Tui Ki Amar Hobi Re in the film Bishwasundari. Mohammad Mahmudul Haque Imran won the best music composer award for the song Tui Ki Amar Hobi Re in the film Bishwasundari. The best story writer award went to Gazi Rakayet for Gor. The best screenplay award went to Gazi Rakayet for Gor. The best dialogue award went to Fakhrul Arefeen Khan for Gondi. The best editor award went to Mohammad Shariful Islam for Gor. The best art director award was won by  Uttam Kumar Guha for Gor. The best cinematographer award jointly was bagged by Pankaj Palit and Mohammad Mahbub Ullah for Gor. The best sound director award went to Kazi Selim Ahmed for Gor. The best costume designer award went to Enamtara Begum for Gor. The best makeup artiste award winner was Mohammad Ali Bakul for Gor.

The National Film Awards 2020 has received only 27 film submissions this year, the lowest in recent years. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, which presents the awards every year to encourage filmmaking, called for film submissions in August, and the deadline ended Sunday. Md Mominul Haque, the secretary of the Bangladesh Film Censor Board, said 27 films were submitted, including 14 full-length, seven short and six documentary films. For the 2019 awards, 43 movies were submitted, including 29 full-length, 11 short-length, and three documentary films, he said. "The ongoing pandemic and the closure of major cinema halls amid repeated lockdowns were the main reasons behind the low submissions." The full-length films submitted for the award are "Bir," "Shahenshah," "Gor (The Grave), "A Great Leader," "Holud Boni," "Gondi," "Unoponchash Batash," "Rupsha Nadir Banke," "Amar Maa," "Chal Jai," "Joy Nogor er Zamindar," "Subarnarekha," "Hridoy Jure" and "Bishwoshundori." "Kothay Pabo Tare," "Ator," "Fera," "Shada Golap," "Arang," "The Squares," and "Amar Babar Naam" are the short films. The documentary submissions are "Swadhinatar Daakticket," "Rathyatrar Baki Itihash," "Political Life of Bangabandhu and Emergence of Bangladesh," "Biography of Nazrul," "The Front Pearsman Fazlul Haque" and "Neel Mukut. " The National Film Awards are given in 28 categories – lifetime achievement, best film, best short film, best documentary, best film director, best actor (leading), best actress (leading), best actor (leading), best actress (supporting), best actor-actress (antagonist), best actor-actress (comedy), best child artist, a special award in the child artist category, best music director, best choreographer, best singer, best singer, best lyricist, best composer, best storyteller, best screenwriter, best dialogue writer, best editor, best art director, best cinematographer, best photographer, best costume designer and best decorator.