My Bicycle


My Bicycle is a 2015 film directed by Aung Rakhine. It is the country's first Chakma language film telling a story for the first time in an indigenous language in Bangladesh. It was banned in Bangladesh due to the questions of cultural and political rights, highlighting the fact relating indigenous languages. There were no professional actors involved in this production, all the actors were members of the Chakma community of Bangladesh.

Plot

An indigenous man named Komol who is fired from a job in a town and returns to his hillside native village with only a bicycle. Although his son is happy to have his father back, but he has nothing to give his family except the bicycle. Komol decides to not return to the town for new jobs but tries to secure their livelihood through the cycle. He offers to ferry passengers and goods of villagers from place to place on his cycle and earn. Unfortunately one day an accident occurs, injuring an old man. Village goons threaten Komol and declare that no one can ride on that cycle. When Komol refuses to give them extortion, they destroy his bicycle.

Cast

After the film was shown in several festivals, it received some international recognition. The film was shown in many important film festivals like Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Göteborg Film Festival and Zanzibar International Film Festival, however, it has been restricted to screen in Bangladesh due to non approval of Bangladesh Film Censor Board. The Bangladesh Army took notice and lodged a complaint that the film showed the activities of the army in the Chittagong Hill Tracts is a sensitive issue. The film was censored due to its unfavorable portrayal of the police and armed forces on Chittagong Hill Tracts conflict. Director Aung Rakhaine, alleged to the Censor Board for the violation of human rights.