State Minister for Post, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, Zunaid Ahmed Palak, announced a new initiative to boost Bangladesh’s animation industry. Speaking at the premiere of the animated film "Khoka" on June 27, he highlighted the potential of the global animation market, which is expected to reach USD 600 billion by 2030.
The event, held at the Bangabandhu Military Museum Star Cineplex, showcased the film depicting the early life of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Minister Palak shared his experience of watching the film with street children and students. He expressed hope that the project would inspire young people to contribute to the growing animation sector.
The "Khoka" film is part of the Department of Information and Communication Technology’s 'Skill Development in Mobile Games and Applications' project. This project has turned an 11-episode series into a 96-minute animated film, now the longest animated feature in Bangladesh.
Minister Palak praised Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for his role in establishing an independent Bangladesh and laying the foundations for a prosperous future. He stated that the animation brings to life Bangabandhu's youthful and challenging student years.
The project has already trained around 28,000 mobile app and game developers. Additionally, mobile app and gaming labs have been set up in 32 universities and polytechnic institutes across the country, with app-game testing centers established in eight universities. The Sheikh Russell Animation Studio has also been inaugurated at Dhaka University.
Two new animated films, "Song of Jhinuk" and "The Struggle," are in the works. These films aim to highlight Bangladesh's history and raise awareness about environmental and climate issues. Local animators created the series, which aims to inspire viewers of all ages with humanitarian and patriotic values.
Directed by Sohel Mohammad Rana of ProLancer Studio, the series involved notable playwrights and theatre figures in writing the dialogues. The project was overseen by Mohammad Anwar Hossain, with ME Chowdhury Shamim as the producer.
