After years in limbo, ‘Bandhob’ finally set for release

Sujan Barua's long-delayed film "Bandhob" will finally reach cinemas on October 3, the producers confirmed on Sunday, a strategic bow timed to the Durga Puja audience. The decision ends a fraught period of repeated postponements that left the film's fate uncertain for months.

"We backed out several times because the market conditions weren't favourable," said Anup Barua of Anupam Kothachitra, one of the film's producers. "But now the time has come. We are facing a genuine crisis of quality films, and we simply don't want to hold this piece of work any longer." Co-producer Abul Bashar stands with the move to press ahead.

The director echoes Barua's relief. Sujan Barua said the confirmed release brings him "a profound, unique peace." He has described "Bandhob" as a strictly story-driven film that refuses easy spectacle. At its centre is a hard, human tale, the life of an unnamed child found abandoned in a filthy dustbin, a narrative that the makers promise is both emotionally exacting and socially urgent.

The film is fronted by Mou Khan in the central role and features a seasoned ensemble including Gazi Rakayet, Rebeka Rouf, Joy Raj, Sumit Sengupta, Habib Khan, Asma Shiuli, Arfan, Raj Sagar and Rubel. Gazi Rakayet — himself a respected actor-director — figures prominently among the cast. The soundtrack comprises five original songs, four with lyrics by Sudip Kumar Dip and one by Munshi Wadud; music direction is credited to Sheikh Sadi Khan and MA Rahman.

Producers say the film's long road to release reflects wider market instability. With theatrical attendance uneven and distribution windows compressed, many Bangladeshi filmmakers have delayed or rethought premieres. The team behind "Bandhob" argues the film's release now responds to a dearth of substantive local work and hopes the Durga Puja period will give the picture a better chance to find its audience.

The film opens nationwide on October 3.