Bangladeshi Actor, Who Played Sheikh Hasina, Sent To Jail In Attempted Murder Case

Dhaka:

Bangladeshi actor Nusrat Faria, who was arrested on Sunday, will stay in jail as she has been sent to judicial custody by a local court in Dhaka. Faria, who played former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a biopic, was produced in court amidst tight security this morning.

Faria's lawyer has moved the court for bail, and the court will hear the bail application on May 22.

The actor was arrested on Sunday at Dhaka's Shahjahanlal International Airport in an alleged attempted murder case. The case is connected to the protests last year that led to the removal of the Sheikh Hasina-led government and the installation of the interim government in Bangladesh.

Local media reports said that the actor was scheduled to travel to Thailand but was stopped at the airport.

Faria is well known for playing former Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina in the film on Sheikh Mujibur Rehman 'Mujib The Making of a Nation', which is a biopic directed by veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal. The film was co-produced by Bangladesh and India and starred Arifin Shuvoo in the titular role.

The interim government led by Muhammad Yunus has targeted actors, academics, artists, journalists, and civil society members who were perceived to be associated with or supportive of the erstwhile Awami League government under Sheikh Hasina. The interim government has also been dilly-dallying on a date for elections in the country. Terrorists and anti-India voices have also been given platforms under the current regime, as Bangladesh has turned towards Islamic radicalism, and terrorists have been released from jail since the Ms Hasina-led government lost power.

Till last month, at least 137 journalists have been implicated in 32 cases related to the protests last year against Ms Hasina-led Awami League government. Many of these cases name them as co-accused along with the former Prime Minister.

Civil rights organisations have flagged the abuse of power and targeting of the press by the interim government, which was installed temporarily to ensure governance till a democratically elected government was chosen through an election.