A Supreme Court advocate in Bangladesh who recently served a legal notice demanding a ban on romantic television dramas and films has found his own personal viewing habits thrust into the spotlight. Advocate Md. Mahmudul Hasan Mamun sparked widespread public discussion after issuing a notice against love-centric productions, only for social media users to discover his own Facebook posts praising romantic movies.
According to posts on his verified social media page, the advocate shared that he was watching the Indian romantic drama Radhe Shyam on 5 August 2025. Earlier that same year, on 9 May, he had posted about watching the Hollywood romantic fantasy adventure Stardust. The revelation has raised eyebrows across legal and cultural circles, highlighting a stark contrast between his public legal crusade and his private entertainment preferences.
The controversy stems from a legal notice served in the public interest on Thursday, 27 August. Addressed to the Cabinet Secretary, Information and Broadcasting Secretary, Cultural Affairs Secretary, and the Chairman of the Bangladesh Film Censor Board, the notice urges state authorities to halt the production and broadcast of entertainment content centered solely on romance.
Advocate Mamun argues that an overabundance of romance-driven storylines in modern Bangladeshi television and cinema threatens the country’s cultural equilibrium. The legal notice claims that such content distracts young people, particularly students, from their academic pursuits and career aspirations. Furthermore, it voices grave concern over the portrayal of extramarital affairs and infidelity as normalised behaviour in contemporary dramas, arguing that such depictions erode family values, damage social morality, and contribute to rising crime rates.
To support his petition, the lawyer invoked Articles 21(1), 23, and 39 of the Constitution of Bangladesh. He noted that whilst Article 39 guarantees freedom of speech and expression, it also permits reasonable restrictions in the interests of decency and morality. Additionally, Article 23 mandates that the state preserve national culture.
Beyond restricting romance-heavy media, the notice urges the government to issue guidelines encouraging content focused on science, education, history, the Liberation War, and national defence. Authorities have been given ten days to respond with concrete administrative measures, failing which the lawyer has threatened to file a writ petition under Article 102 of the Constitution before the High Court.
