Azmeri Haque Badhan returned to Bangladesh from the Venice International Film Festival on Monday morning, bringing fresh allegations about her treatment during the festival after an alleged assault in Italy.
The actress landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, where her father, engineer Aminul Haque, was present to receive her.
Badhan attended the 83rd Venice International Film Festival for the screening of Rubaiyat Hossain’s The Difficult Bride. She alleged that expatriate supporters of the Awami League harassed and physically assaulted her in Mestre.
“But my team disowned me,” Badhan said, alleging that her team stopped her from joining them for the rest of the festival and from attending the Toronto International Film Festival.
She said co-stars Sunerah, Zaynin and Zaynin’s mother supported her. She also thanked the Bangladesh government, the prime minister, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bangladesh Embassy in Italy.
Badhan said Italian authorities also supported her after the incident. “They provided me with protection for 24 hours,” she said, adding that police remained in her hotel lobby and accompanied her whenever she went out.
She said she filed a police complaint in Italy on 8 September and that local police helped her sufficiently. She added that the Italian government, its cultural ministry, an undersecretary and police provided security, while the Venice festival director arranged accommodation for her at the Lido.
Badhan said those who attacked her had put themselves in trouble through their actions.
“They think they will get away with it. They put their hands on me,” she said, stressing that the incident involved physical assault, not merely verbal abuse, slogans or water being thrown at her.
She urged people not to blindly follow political groups, warning that their families would suffer while senior leaders who provoke supporters would not share the consequences.
Before returning home, Badhan posted on Facebook that she had “a lot to say” and wanted the truth to be known.
“Bangladesh deserves to know the reality: what my own team did to me, what has been happening continuously, what the government did, and what the embassy did,” she wrote. “I will speak about everything. I have nothing to hide.”
She ended the post by reaffirming her connection to Bangladesh, saying, “I love my country—not from abroad, but from within it.”
