'He deserves it': Actress Mahiya Mahi relieved by Murad Hassan's sacking after audio leak

Film actress Mahiya Mahi has confirmed that she was on the other end of a scandalous phone conversation with Murad Hassan from two years ago, which has recently been leaked and created an uproar leading to the sacking of the state minister.

In a video uploaded on Facebook on Monday night, the actress, who went on an Islamic pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, said she was a “victim of circumstances”.

“The person who embarrassed me so much has received what he deserves,” she said, effectively calling Murad’s departure in disgrace from the cabinet a divine punishment.

She also said she was trying to avoid Murad’s indecent proposal in the phone call and was lost for words to protest the vulgar language.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has ordered Murad to resign from his cabinet post after the audio leaks went viral on social media.

The 47-year-old has been in the eye of a social media storm for his untoward remarks on former prime minister Khaleda Zia's granddaughter, prompting calls from the BNP for his resignation.

Amid the furore, the audio clip of the telephone conversation with Mahi began to circulate on Facebook. In the audio record purported to have his voice, Murad was heard using a stream of obscene words and threatening to drag the actress into a five-star hotel and rape her.

Murad has not commented on the matter.

A doctor by training, Murad was elected to parliament from Jamalpur-4 for the second time in the 2018 general election.

He was initially inducted into the cabinet as the state minister for health after the election but was transferred to the information ministry four months later in May 2019.

Mahi began her career with ‘Bhalobasar Rong’ in 2012 and has since worked in a number of movies, including ‘Agni’, ‘Ki Darun Dekhte’, ‘Onek Sadher Moyna’, and ‘Dhaka Attack’.

She married businessman Rakib Sarker in September after her divorce from Parvez Mahmud, another businessman.