A Dhaka court on Monday ordered popular actor Nusraat Faria to be sent to jail in connection with an attempted murder case tied to last year’s July uprising.
The court scheduled May 22 for the hearing of her bail petition. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sarah Farzana Haque passed the order after police sought Faria’s confinement.
At around 10am, Nusraat Faria was escorted to the courtroom of the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court amid tight security. During the half-hour-long hearing, she stood silent in the dock.
Faria’s lawyer submitted her passport to demonstrate that she was in Canada at the time of the alleged incident, arguing that the charges against her are baseless.
However, the prosecution opposed the bail plea by labelling Faria as a supporter of the fallen Awami League regime.
Faria was detained on Sunday at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport’s immigration check post as she was trying to travel to Thailand. She was later handed over to Vatara Police Station and subsequently taken to the Detective Branch office of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police for interrogation.
The case, filed on March 27 with Vatara Police Station, accuses Faria and 16 other actors of involvement in an attempted murder during the anti-discrimination movement in July 2024.
The complainant, Enamul Haque, alleges that he was shot in the leg during the protests in the Bhatara area on July 19. The case names 265 individuals, including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, as accused.
Faria began her career as a radio jockey and television host before making her film debut in 2015 with Aashiqui, a Bangladesh-India joint production. She has since appeared in several commercially-successful films across both countries and has also pursued a career in music.
In 2023, Nusraat Faria had portrayed the role of deposed former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the biographical film Mujib: The Making of a Nation, based on the life of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The film was a joint production between Bangladesh and India, directed by maestro filmmaker Shyam Benegal.