Actress Nusraat Faria was arrested by immigration police at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Sunday while en route to Thailand. She was detained at the immigration checkpoint due to an outstanding arrest warrant in connection with a case filed at Vatara Police Station. The charges against her involve an alleged attempted murder during the July mass uprising. On Monday, the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court in Dhaka ordered her to be sent to prison.
In response to her arrest, cultural affairs adviser and filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farooki shared a statement on Facebook at 11:12 am on Monday. He expressed his concern and called the incident "an embarrassment."
"Usually, I try to stay within the bounds of my ministry's jurisdiction. But I also have an identity of my own—one deeply rooted in this industry, where I plan to return soon," Farooki wrote. "The arrest of Nusraat Faria has become an embarrassing episode for us."
He emphasised the government's commitment to bringing the actual perpetrators of the July uprising to justice. "We have always maintained a clear stance that no one should be arrested without preliminary evidence found during the initial investigation. That has been our policy," he noted.
Farooki pointed out that while the case against Faria has been pending for some time, there was no previous indication of government action to detain her before the investigation's conclusion. "This arrest took place only after she arrived at the airport. It appears this might have been triggered by heightened tension following the backlash over former President Abdul Hamid’s departure from the country."
He also mentioned a similar recent incident involving the wife of Barrister Andaleeve Rahman Partho, saying such occurrences are "unjustifiable."
"I trust that Faria will receive proper legal justice," Farooki added. "Going forward, we need to deal with indiscriminate cases more sensitively. Our primary responsibility remains to prosecute the true culprits behind the July uprising."
