Actress Nusraat Faria from Dhallywood has been released on bail from the Kashimpur Central Women’s Jail in Gazipur in an attempted murder case. She was released from jail at 3:30 PM on May 20 after securing bail.
Just a day after being sent to jail amid ongoing anti-discrimination protests and a flurry of discussions and criticisms surrounding the attempted murder allegations, the court granted Faria bail earlier that morning.
Faria’s lawyer, Mohammad Iftekhar Hossain, said, we submitted a special petition seeking bail for Nusraat Faria. After the hearing, the court granted her bail upon a bond of 5,000 Taka until the police submit their report.
Faria Was Not in the Country at the Time of the Incident
Actress Nusraat Faria from the film Mujib: The Making of a Nation was arrested on May 18 in an attempted murder case, sparking widespread discussion and criticism for two days, which even drew comments from advisers of the interim government.
Faria was stopped by immigration police at Dhaka’s Shahjalal International Airport while trying to travel to Thailand. She was later shown as arrested in a case filed at Vatara Police Station.
A man named Enamul Haque filed a case in March against 283 people, including 17 actors such as Nusraat Faria, Apu Biswas, Nipun Akter, Ashna Habib Bhabna and actor Zayed Khan.
According to the details of the case, during an anti-discrimination protest on July 19, protesters gathered in front of the Vatara Police Station. During the protest, shots were fired, and Enamul was hit in the leg. He received hospital treatment.
The investigation officer, SI Billal Bhuiyan of Vatara Police Station, produced Faria in court on May 19 and requested she be held in custody. Faria’s lawyers, however, filed a bail petition.
During the hearing, Faria’s lawyer Farhan Mohammad Arav stated that Faria was not even in the country when the plaintiff was shot. She is a well-known actress and had traveled to Canada on July 9 for a film shoot, returning only on August 14. The defense submitted documents to support this claim.
He added that Faria had supported the anti-discrimination protests and had made public posts in favour of them. She was not involved in the incident and has no political affiliation with the Awami League.
On behalf of the prosecution, Dhaka Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Omar Faruk Faruki opposed the bail request. He noted that Faria, a named accused in the case, was attempting to flee to Thailand when she was detained. He also referenced other prominent actors, including Ferdous, who previously ran for office from Dhaka-10 and is currently being sought by the authorities.
Faruk argued that fascist regimes often recruit celebrities like actors and athletes to gain influence, and many of them join for personal gain. He claimed that Faria, too, had sought favour by aligning with certain political figures.
The court then instructed the authorities to submit a report confirming whether Faria was indeed out of the country at the time of the incident and whether she had publicly supported the protests on Facebook.
The judge ordered her to be sent to jail and scheduled the bail hearing for May 22, pending the report.
However, Faria’s legal team submitted a special petition for bail, and on May 20, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Mostafizur Rahman granted her bail after a hearing.
Discussion and Controversy
Nusraat Faria portrayed the character of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the biographical film Mujib: The Making of a Nation, which depicts the life of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The film, directed by the late Indian filmmaker Shyam Benegal, was a joint production between Bangladesh and India and was released in 2023. It also starred Arifin Shuvoo, Nusrat Imrose Tisha, and Riaz Ahmed, among others.
Faria began her career as a radio jockey and presenter before debuting as an actress in the 2015 Bangladesh-India joint production Aashiqui.
Following her arrest, the news quickly went viral on social media. Many speculated that her arrest was politically motivated and related to her role in the Mujib: The Making of a Nation. Some claimed that she was being unfairly harassed with the attempted murder case as a pretext.