The Bangladesh High Court in an order passed on Monday has banned the streaming of the film ‘Faraaz’ on online platforms in the country. The bench of Justice Md Khasruzzaman and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by the mother of Abinta Kabir who was killed in the Holy Artisan terror attack in 2016.

However, the court did not pass any orders against the release of the film in cinema halls as the film is yet to be approved by the Bangladesh Film Censor Board.

Hansal Mehta directed film ‘Faraaz’ is loosely based on the terrorist attack on the upmarket Holy Artisan cafe in Dhaka on July 1, 2016 in which 22 people including 17 foreign nationals were killed. Faraaz Ayaaz Hossain and Abinta Kabir were among the people killed in the incident.

After the release of the trailer of the film, Ruba Ahmad, mother of Abinta Kabir, has gone to the court to stop its release in Bangladesh. She says the film depicts the character of Abinta Kabir in a derogatory manner. It also shows the law enforcement agencies of Bangladesh in a poor light which can damage the reputation of the country.

Earlier, a Bangladeshi Film ‘Shonibar Bikel’, directed by Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, was held up for clearance by the censor board for four years. Finally, it was cleared for release in cinema hall on January 21 this year with the disclaimer that the film is not related to the 2016 Holy Artisan incident.