Model and lawyer Jannatul Ferdous Peya, model Maria Kispotta and actress Shamima Islam Tusti are among six people named in a general diary (GD) filed with Shahbagh Police Station over allegations of insulting the July Mass Uprising and spreading misleading information on social media and television talk shows.
The written complaint was lodged on Saturday by Millat Hossain, a member of an organisation called ‘Rastro Sanglap Forum’.
Shahbagh Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Moniruzzaman confirmed that the organisation had submitted the complaint and said police would investigate the allegations.
Duty officer SI Majibul Alam also confirmed the matter. He said police accepted the complaint as a GD and handed it over to SI Ashraf Ali for investigation.
Besides Peya, Maria Kispotta and Tusti, the complaint also names journalist Anis Alamgir, television presenter Soma Islam and former banned Bangladesh Chhatra League leader and columnist Momin Mehedi.
According to SI Majibul Alam, the allegations involve social media activity and cyber-related issues. The investigating officer is reviewing the matter and may refer it to the cyber unit if necessary. If investigators find evidence of any offence, police will take further legal action against those concerned.
Millat Hossain said members of Rastro Sanglap Forum noticed several statements and videos posted by the accused on social media while they were gathered at Hadi Chattar in Shahbagh at around 4 pm on 3 July.
After discussing the matter with other members of the organisation, they decided to submit a written complaint to the police.
The complaint alleges that the six individuals made objectionable, misleading and derogatory remarks about the July Mass Uprising, its participants and those who were killed or injured during the movement through social media posts and television talk shows. It also accuses them of damaging the image of the movement, spreading propaganda and engaging in politically motivated activities.
The complainants requested law enforcement agencies to investigate the allegations thoroughly and take appropriate legal action.
No immediate response from any of the accused was available.
Earlier, on 3 July, another GD was filed over similar allegations against actress Meher Afroz Shaon, film actress Mahiya Mahi and a woman identified as Shanta Farzana.
The complaint was submitted by Rashtra Sanglap Forum representatives, including central member secretary Anam Ayas, Tuhin Farazi and central chief organiser Muhammad Shah Alam Badsha.
The earlier complaint alleged that the accused had spread misleading and derogatory propaganda about the July movement, which it described as an inseparable part of Bangladesh’s history, causing widespread public outrage. The complainants sought legal action against them.
The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement began in 2024 as a student-led protest demanding quota reforms. It later grew into a mass uprising involving students and the public, culminating in the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on 5 August.
