During the countrywide quota reform movement last July, controversial Dhallywood actress Shirin Shila sparked outrage with a Facebook post that read, “Why so much protest? It’s like inviting trouble while living in peace.” Her remarks regarding the student-led movement triggered massive backlash from netizens.
Unable to withstand the heat of criticism, Shila disabled the comment option on her post. Later that same day, around 4 PM, she edited the status following widespread condemnation. However, she never issued a formal apology for taking a stance against the students and mass uprising.
Subsequently, on August 5, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country in the face of a popular uprising, and Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus took charge as the head of an interim government. Despite the shift in the political landscape, Shirin Shila remained unapologetic for her controversial stance.
More recently, Shila appeared as a guest in an episode of BTV’s Eid special magazine show “Chawa Pawa”. Her appearance reignited public outrage on social media. Citizens questioned how someone who opposed a just student movement could be given space on the state-run broadcaster. Netizens demanded answers regarding who approved her participation.
The backlash did not go unnoticed by the BTV authorities. Although the episode was scheduled to air on Eid night, it was canceled to avoid further criticism. Poet Asad Kajol, the show’s scriptwriter, confirmed the cancellation.
Speaking to the press, he said, “Originally, magician Jewel Aich was supposed to appear on the show. Due to his unavailability, Shirin Shila was brought in as a replacement. We were unaware of her controversial past and the backlash she faced for her anti-movement stance. Once the matter came to our attention, we discussed it with the authorities, who then decided to pull the episode.”
He added, “After recording, we found the show to be quite entertaining. However, due to her involvement, we had no choice but to suspend it. We’re now considering redoing the episode with a different guest in the future.”
