Entertainment industry figures 'aided' fascist forces, says PP Faruqi

Dhaka Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Omar Faruq Faruqi has alleged that figures from the entertainment industry rallied behind "fascist forces" during deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule.

He also claimed that actors and actresses "supported" Hasina's "orders to kill" protesters to suppress the July movement from wherever they were.

The prosecutor made the remarks on Monday during a bail hearing for Dhallywood actress Nusraat Faria, who is facing attempted murder charges in a case stemming from an incident during last year's mass protests.

He also called for these entertainers to be brought to book to prevent the rise of another fascist regime in the country.

During the hearing at the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sarah Farzana Haque, PP Faruqi said that authorities were also looking for film star and former Dhaka-10 MP Ferdous Ahmed in connection with the same investigation.

"Playwrights, actors and actresses -- all of them formed a group and assisted the fascist regime for the last 15 years. They have cooperated with the fascist regime through drama, music, and dance. They must be brought under the law so that fascism never re-emerges."

Highlighting the role of the entertainment industry in the July Uprising, he said: "They encouraged [authorities] to spray hot water on the Shahbagh protesters. They incited them from home and abroad. They were one of the key collaborators of fascism. They have cooperated with the fascist regime in their activities.

"To suppress the movement, Hasina gave a kill order. Actors and actresses aided in carrying it out from wherever they were. Nusraat Faria was among them. She was involved in the attacks. Police had been looking for her."

In court, Sub-Inspector Zakir Hossain, the general registration officer at Vatara Police Station, said that the investigating officer in the case, Sub-Inspector Billal Bhuiyan, had petitioned to keep the actress in jail custody until the investigation was complete.

After the hearing, the court granted the request and ordered her to be sent to jail.

Faria was held in the Dhaka CMM Court's custody cell from around 9am. She was escorted out of the lock-up around 10am by police. She was wearing a white mask, a helmet and a bullet-proof jacket at the time.

After arriving in the courtroom, her helmet was removed as she was placed in the dock.

Then, she lowered her mask a little and started panting before taking a sip of water from a bottle handed to her by a female police officer. Nusraat then stood silently, facing away until the judge entered the courtroom at 10:05am. She then turned to face the front, placing her hands on the dock railing.

When the hearing began, a lawyer asked the court for permission to sign Nusraat's power of attorney. She pointed out her attorney, Farhan Mohammad Arav, who submitted the document. She signed it and the bail hearing began at 10:08am. The judge requested silence in the courtroom.

Faria’s lawyers, Arav and Morshed Alam Shahin, moved her bail plea.

During the hearing, lawyer Arav said: "She is a renowned actress. Before the movement, she went to Canada on Jul 9 for filming and returned home on Aug 14. We have submitted those documents. She supported the movement, and also posted about it online. She had no involvement in this incident. She is not associated with the Awami League. We requesting that she be granted bail."

Shahin added, "She wasn't even in the country at the time of the incident. Showing her arrested in this case is against the law. The allegation against her is that she acted in a film. It’s an actor’s job to portray various roles. She was falsely implicated in the case. The court is the ultimate place of trust. I am praying for bail under any condition. She is also physically unwell."

PP Faruqi opposed the bail plea.

Faruqi said, "Nusraat Faria is a model and actress. She is a named suspect and not someone under investigation. The Immigration Police stopped Nusraat Faria at Shahjalal International Airport while she was trying to flee to Thailand. The defence lawyers say that she is a popular, well-known actress. There is another well-known hero -- Ferdous [Ahmed]. We are searching for him as well. He contested the election from the Dhaka-10 constituency.”

“What do fascists do? They recruit the country's heroes, heroines, and footballers and absorb them into the party. Many of them join the fascists to gain favour or to advance their career. She aligned herself with [former ICT minister Zunaid Ahmed] Palak to get ahead.”

Nusraat played the role of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina in the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman biopic “Mujib: The Making of a Nation”.

The film, directed by the late Indian director Shyam Benegal, was a joint production of Bangladesh and India. Apart from Nusraat, the film, which was released in 2023, also stars Arifin Shuvoo and Nusrat Imrose Tisha.

Commenting on the movie, Faruqi said that Nusraat playing the role of Hasina in the biopic was not a crime in itself.

“[But] Nusraat Faria said that there is a Hasina in every home in the country. It means there is a fascist in every house. Does this mean that all the girls in the country are fascists? Such statements are provocative. She made statements to please Hasina. She inspired others to speak in favour of the fascists. She tried hard to bag the Awami League's nomination for a reserved women's seat in the last election.”

He further alleged that Faria "gambles online". “The students and youth are being destroyed by online gambling. She herself takes part in it. She’s even a brand ambassador [for a gambling app]."

On the role currently being played by entertainment industry figures, Faruqi said: “They aren’t sitting idle. They are working to create unrest in the country. They are carrying out subversive activities by holding secret processions to bring back the fascists. If the accused gets bail, she will conspire again to bring back the fascists and disrupt the investigation of the case. I am opposing her bail."

The judge ordered the submission of a report confirming whether Nusrat Faria was abroad during the incident and whether she posted in support of the movement. The next bail hearing is scheduled for May 22, following the submission of this report.

Nusraat was arrested at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Sunday while preparing to fly to Thailand. The case was filed in March by an individual named Enamul Haque at Dhaka's Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s court, accusing 283 people, including actors Apu Biswas, Nipun Akhter, Ashna Habib Bhabna and Zayed Khan. The Vatara Police Station recorded the complaint on Apr 29 on the court’s orders.

According to the case details, during the Anti-discrimination Student Movement protests on Jul 19 last year, protesters gathered in front of the Vatara Police Station. There was gunfire during the demonstration, and Enamul was shot in the leg. He later received treatment at a hospital.