Journal · Brand and film
Bangladesh media regulations
A producer or brand manager does not need every statute. They need to know which desk owns the next paper: filming, public showing, advertising, broadcasting, or posting online.
This is a working map from Dhaka. It is not legal advice. Laws and drafts change. Confirm the current form before you lock a campaign or a release.
Five desks, not one media law
- Access — may the camera be there? Filming permits, visas, location letters. See the permits guide and film fixer.
- Exhibition — may the finished film play to the public in Bangladesh? That is censor certification, not the shoot file.
- Advertising — what a brand may say, and where. Tobacco advertising is prohibited. Misleading financial, betting and alcohol claims are high risk on broadcast.
- Broadcast and streaming — who may operate a channel or a stream, and which ads they may carry. A 2026 broadcasting draft brings some internet TV and streaming into a licensing frame. BTRC remains the technical regulator.
- Online conduct — Cyber Security Act 2026 covers consent, harassment and filming people without permission. Calling yourself a content creator is not a licence to record people in the street and post the footage.
Advertising that a local buy must respect
Tobacco and nicotine advertising — including e-cigarettes — is barred on cinema, print, television, websites and social platforms. A 2025 tobacco-control amendment also restricts smoking scenes and pack shots in films, drama and documentaries when those works play on television, the internet, streaming or stage in Bangladesh. If the commercial will run here, keep the product out of the frame. Do not wait to remove it after the media is booked.
Draft broadcasting rules (2026) flag advertisements for unlicensed finance, betting, tobacco, alcohol and misleading claims — with risk for both the advertiser and the broadcaster. A marketing consultant who buys local media should check claims before the line is locked.
Press, news and government advertising
Print and news agencies still sit under the Press Council Act, 1974. Government advertising is routed through the Department of Films and Publications (DFP) listing. That is a media-buying issue, not a production one — unless the film itself is a paid government message.
Events, sound and the street
Outdoor activations also meet noise and gathering rules. Night loudspeakers, fireworks and long periods of sound have tighter 2025 drafts. An event brief should name the hour, the sound level and the local police station — not only the stage plan.
What to send
City, dates, whether the film will play in Bangladesh, the media (television, YouTube, streaming, outdoor), and whether tobacco, alcohol, finance or children appear. Azizul Hoque Shiplu's practice will point you to fixer work, certification, or brand counsel — one job at a time.
Frequently asked questions
Is there one media law in Bangladesh?
No. Filming, public showing, advertising, broadcast or streaming, and online conduct sit on different desks. Start with what the brief is trying to do.
Can we show smoking in a film that will run on Bangladeshi television or streaming?
The 2025 tobacco-control amendment restricts tobacco use and pack shots in films, drama and documentaries when those works play on television, the internet, streaming or stage in Bangladesh. Keep it out of the frame if the buy is local.
Do streaming platforms now need a broadcast licence?
A 2026 broadcasting draft aims to bring some internet TV and streaming into a licensing frame. Treat it as changing. Confirm before you promise a local stream date.
Does street filming for social media need consent?
Cyber Security Act 2026 tightens recording and posting people without permission, including cases where the recorder calls themselves a content creator. Ask the fixer and, if needed, a lawyer.
Is this legal advice?
No. It is a working map from a Dhaka practice. Confirm the current form before you lock a campaign or a release.