Bangladesh: Actress Nusraat Faria sent to jail as Yunus govt struggles with ‘moral and political direction’

Dhaka: Bangladesh’s leading actress Nusraat Faria — who portrayed former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a film — has been sent to jail in connection with the attempted murder case of one Enamul Haque, local media reported on Monday.

Faria was detained by police at the Dhaka airport on Sunday while she was on her way to Thailand. She was subsequently shown as arrested in the case related to the July 2024 movement.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Nasrin Akter issued the order to send her to jail on Monday.

Bangladesh’s Home Affairs Advisor Lieutenant General (Retd.) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has confirmed that a legal case is ongoing against the actress and that the investigation is currently underway. He assured that the government remains committed to ensuring justice.

“Measures will be taken so that only offenders are brought under the law and punished. At the same time, it will be ensured that no innocent individual faces punishment under any circumstance,” Chowdhury reportedly stated.

It may be recalled that in July 2024, Enamul Haque took part in the July movement in an area under Vatara police station. On that day, he was shot in the leg and later admitted to the hospital in an unconscious state. After recovering, he filed the case on May 3, 2025.

The case names 283 individuals as accused, including former PM Hasina and 17 artists.

Faria has been listed as the 207th accused. The case identifies her as a “financial supporter” of the Awami League.

Faria played the role of Sheikh Hasina in the Bangabandhu biopic, ‘Mujib: The Making of a Nation’ – 2023 epic biographical film based on the life of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman which was directed by late Indian film director Shyam Benegal.

Bangladesh’s Cultural Affairs Advisor Sarwar Farooki has termed the arrest of Faria as “an embarrassing incident” for the government.

In a social media post on Monday, Farooki expressed concern over the arrest.

“Following the backlash over the former president Abdul Hamid’s foreign trip, there may have been an overreaction driven by nervousness. A similar incident happened a few days ago involving Barrister Andaleeve Rahman Partho’s wife.

These incidents are by no means justifiable. I believe Faria will get legal remedy,” said Farooki.

He added: “The government’s job is to prosecute the actual transgressors during the July Uprising. Our stated policy has been clear, no one will be arrested in broad, indiscriminate cases unless preliminary investigation establishes involvement. That policy had been followed.”

Several key members of the Bangladesh Cholochitro Shilpi Samiti, or the artistes’ association, including Ashfaque Nipun, Azmeri Haque ‘Badhon,’ Khairul Basar, Sharaf Ahmed ‘Jibon,’ Tabib Mahmud, slammed the decision taken by the “Fascist Yunus administration” which, they insist, can’t be accepted.

The development has also been criticised all over the world.

“It now appears that simply being a known supporter of the Awami League, or having close associations with the party, is enough to make one a target. We have I think reached the point where such individuals can no longer feel safe in Bangladesh—where arbitrary arrest on baseless charges becomes a legitimate fear,” said noted British journalist David Bergman.

“The interim government appears to be struggling with its moral and political direction; The country’s new civil society seem indifferent to due process and fairness—focused instead on vengeance and score-settling; And, there is no major political force left to champion basic human rights,” he added while detailing how it has taken “just nine months” to reach this “dangerous threshold”.

IANS