Actress Tanjin Tisha has spoken out after Actors’ Equity Bangladesh suspended her and fellow actress Samia Akter Othoi’s memberships indefinitely, saying she will not back down despite facing difficulties over the past eight months.
In a 25-minute Facebook live on Friday night, Tisha discussed the dispute with Othoi during the shooting of the drama ‘Putuler Biye’, the association’s arbitration process and the reasons behind the disciplinary action.
The association sent separate letters to the two actresses on 4 October, informing them that their memberships had been suspended indefinitely.
According to the letters, both had received show-cause notices on 7 July but failed to submit replies to the organisation. The executive committee later approved the suspension following the arbitration committee’s recommendation.
Addressing the decision, Tisha said the association had asked both actresses to apologise and submit video statements confirming that they had resolved their differences. However, neither complied with the request.
“She did not submit the video, and I could not submit mine either for some reason. I have been sent the suspension letter because I did not follow the notice. All right,” Tisha said.
She also criticised the practice of taking professional disagreements to social media or the press, arguing that public accusations could damage an artiste’s reputation and career.
“People can have differences of opinion or face problems while working together. But that does not mean I should immediately go to social media or the press and disclose everything, potentially harming someone’s career,” she said.
Tisha also referred to controversies surrounding her over the past year, including the sari incident, saying she believed the truth would eventually come out.
Revisiting the March dispute on the set of ‘Putuler Biye’ in Manikganj, she maintained that everyone present had witnessed what happened.
She also referred to the drama’s scenes, suggesting viewers could judge for themselves who had improvised and whether the alleged mistreatment had taken place.
The conflict began on 3 March when Othoi accused Tisha of repeatedly slapping her hard during a scene that required only a light slap.
Othoi claimed she had suffered injuries. Tisha denied deliberately hurting her, saying her performance followed the script and her character’s requirements.
Tisha said the association’s arbitration meeting lasted around five hours, during which representatives heard both sides and discussed the incident. She added that she still had the written notice from that meeting.
Despite the suspension and the challenges she described, Tisha insisted she would continue working and would not surrender.
“Whatever obstacles I face, I will not stop. I will not give up. I can say this with such confidence because I know I have done nothing wrong,” she said.
Meanwhile, Othoi has yet to make a fresh public statement following the association’s decision.
