[prakashk]

> your filename could be called "--help."

bash isn't interpreting '--help' at all, it is just passed on to the program being executed, and most GNU CLI programs conventionally interpret '--help' as a special option.

If your filename is indeed --help, the convention is to use '--' as the separator between your command line options and filenames. Anything after -- is not interpreted as a command-line option.

Another way would be to use a more qualified filename form ('./--help')