Actress and dancer Mehbuba Mahnoor Chandni has alleged that cash, clothing and other items were stolen from her residence in Dhaka’s Bashundhara Residential Area, with the incident coming to light after missing belongings were discovered in the room of a teenage domestic worker who had been living with the family for nearly a year.
Chandni disclosed details of the incident in a video posted on her Facebook account, saying that cash, clothing and various personal items had been recovered following an internal investigation by the family.
According to the actress, three sarees, two blouses and two salwar kameez belonging to her niece were among the items recovered. Shampoo, lipstick and other household belongings were also found.
She said suspicions first arose a few days ago when her sister was unable to locate several items of clothing. A search of the domestic worker’s room allegedly led to the discovery of the missing garments and other belongings.
“Three days ago, we could not find some of my sister’s clothes. Later, they were found in her room. As we continued talking, many more items were recovered,” Chandni said.
The actress stated that the girl had been living with her mother at the family home for nearly a year. Following the discovery, the family kept the teenager under their supervision for three days, saying there was no suitable arrangement to leave her alone.
According to Chandni, further inquiries led to the recovery of more than Tk226,000 in cash from a ventilator inside the house. She alleged that the money had been accumulated over the past year by taking amounts of Tk10,000 to Tk15,000 at a time from a wardrobe after her mother had gone to sleep.
“When we went out, she would count and keep the money. Altogether, we recovered more than Tk226,000,” she said.
However, Chandni said no legal action had been taken because the girl is a minor. Instead, her father was called and she was handed over to him.
The actress also claimed that more than one person may have been involved in the incident.
Chandni, once a popular dancer and television actress, was a regular performer in television dramas and is an enlisted artiste of Bangladesh Betar. She has also received a National Film Award. Although she became less active in acting and dance after marriage, she remains active on social media.
She said she plans to provide further details about the incident during a forthcoming Facebook Live session.
