Numerous showbiz stars face murder and attempted murder charges linked to their alleged support for the Awami League during the July 2024 protests.
Actor Nusraat Faria, who was arrested in connection with an attempted murder case, was granted bail on Tuesday morning by the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court in Dhaka.
During the hearing, Faria’s legal team told the court that she was not in the country when the incident occurred.
Relevant documents supporting this claim were submitted to the court, which reviewed the materials before granting bail.
Case documents state that during the July mass uprising by students and citizens on July 19, Enamul Haque, 35, sustained gunshot wounds in the capital’s Vatara area.
On May 3, he filed a complaint with the Dhaka CMM Court, naming 283 individuals.
Among the accused are 17 public figures, including Nusraat Faria.
When asked about this case, Vatara police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mazharul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune that 17 artists were accused of financially supporting the Awami League regime in opposition to the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.
Those named in the case include Suborna Mustafa, Nusraat Faria, Rokeya Prachy, Apu Biswas, Nipun Akter, film actor Zayed Khan, Asna Habib Bhabna, Sohana Saba, Meher Afroz Shaon, Jyotika Jyoti, film actor Simon Sadiq, and Azizul Hakim, among others.
The case alleges that these individuals provided substantial financial backing to suppress the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.
However, this is not a single case. Several cases, including murder, attempted murder, and vandalism, have been filed against many other actors and celebrities after the change of regime in Bangladesh in the post-5 August era, said Zayed Khan, who has served as the general secretary of Bangladesh Shilpi Somity for several times.
While talking with Dhaka Tribune on Tuesday, Dhaliwood Hero Zayed Khan, who is now in the US, said: “Since July, I have resided in Canada and the US; I have no idea about the murder case against me, Nusraat Faria and others,”
'Any individual can support any political party'
Zayed Khan said: “I believe, as a human being, any individual can support any political party; that doesn’t mean that he should be accused in a murder case. Intentionally, some people are filing false cases against popular celebrities like us. In our neighboring country Tallywood actor Nusrat, Sayantika, Actor Deb, and many of our colleagues are engaged in political activities, but they are not facing cases like us,”
“I want to urge the chief adviser, law adviser, and information adviser of the interim government if they find any corruption allegation or any criminal allegation against the artist, they can take action according to the law, but why are there murder cases against us? This is nothing but harassment,” said Zayed Khan, urging to stop filing "wholesale cases" against the artists.
“For several cases, artists are now in hiding; they cannot attend the show or shooting set; if these things continue, how will artists survive, and how their family members will survive?” asked Zayed Khan, who is living in the US and attending some stage shows as an earning source.
He also mentioned: “It is absurd that artists financially support the Awami League in combating the July-August movement. We live on our earnings from films, advertisements, and shows. We are not getting paid too much; sometimes what we earn is not enough to maintain our lifestyle,”
According to several sources, murder cases been filed against senior artist Mamunur Rashid, Chanchal Chowdhury, Riaz Uddin Ahamed Siddique, Ferdous, Zayed Khan, Artist Ashna Habib Bhabna, Saju Khadem, Rokeya Prachy, Meher Afroz Shaon, Aruna Biswas, Jyotika Jyoti, Shamima Tusty, Shomi Kaiser, Sohana Saba, Eresh Zaker.
An attempt to murder case has been filed against film actors Apu Biswas, Nipun Akter, Syeda Kamrun Nahar Shahnoor, Urmila Shabnamti Kar, Sohana Saba, Meher Afroz Shaon, Zakia Mun, Tanvin Sweety, Suborna Mustafa, Azizul Hakim, Ashna Habib Bhabna, Simon Sadik, Zayed Khan, Rokeya Prachy, Tarin Jahan, and Jyotika Jyoti.
Zayed Khan said: “I have a regular connection with our artists. At least 20 to 25 popular actors in film, drama, and showbiz industries have already faced murder cases after August 5. Right now, only popular names are coming in the light. But I think the real number is more, but they are still not disclosed.”
Recently, another drama artist, Siddique, was beaten publicly and later sent to police custody as his name was also in a case.
When asked, actor Jyotika Jyoti, who faces two cases, one murder case and another attempt to murder case, told Dhaka Tribune that their professional life is in danger due to these cases.
“We are not getting new work contracts and are being eliminated from running projects after these cases. Besides, we are also encountering some social harassment and cyberbullying," she added.
“Supporting a certain political party is not a crime. I think Bangladeshi artists have never faced such false cases and mental trauma under any other government before,” she claimed.
Anonymously, a celebrity who faced a murder case said to this newspaper that they had a very miserable life after August 5; no new contract, no earnings, and most of them were hiding to save their life from the mob.
