Actor Mortoza Polash was arrested at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport after returning from Nepal, where he had been shooting for Apu Biswas’ upcoming film Shikar. His arrest in a murder case linked to the anti-discrimination student movement became public on Thursday.
Mortoza Polash was arrested by police on 28 August after returning to Bangladesh from Nepal. He is named as an accused in the case and is currently in jail.
Mortoza Polash had travelled to Nepal for the shooting of Shikar, which began in August. After more than 25 days of filming, the team returned to Bangladesh on 28 August amid sudden flooding in Nepal. Polash was arrested at the airport that same day. His arrest, however, remained undisclosed until recently.
Polash was taken on remand after his arrest. Following the remand, the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court ordered him to be sent to jail. A source involved with the case claimed that police obtained information from Polash during questioning about the incident and other accused in the case. However, law enforcement authorities have not made any official statement on the matter.
His detention has now put the remaining work on Shikar in uncertainty. Most of the film was shot in Nepal, but several scenes and a song are still pending. Director Kamruzzaman Roman had planned to shoot the remaining portions in October. He has yet to finalise the schedule because Polash remains in custody.
Roman said most of the Nepal schedule had been completed and the team had planned to finish the remaining work in October. However, Polash’s detention has made it impossible to confirm the dates. He added that the actor was dealing with the matter legally and the production house hoped he would be released soon. Otherwise, the team would have no option but to wait.
Shikar is a thriller set around a story in a border area. Based on a screenplay by Abdullah Zahir Babu, the film stars Mortoza Polash and Apu Biswas alongside Mahmudul Islam Mithu, Suman Anwar and West Bengal actors Kharaj Mukherjee, Rajatabha Dutta and Shyam Bhattacharya.
Produced under the Reza Films banner, the film is directed by Kamruzzaman Roman.
