Published : 09 Aug 2026, 09:16 PM
Updated : 08 Sep 2026, 09:31 AM
The cross-examination of actress Shamsunnahar Smriti, popularly known as Pori Moni, in a case filed over attempted rape, attempted murder and assault has been postponed as she failed to reach court on time.
Judge Shahadat Hossain of the Dhaka Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal set Nov 30 as the new date for her cross-examination after the hearing on Sunday.
Around 11am, Pori Moni’s lawyer Nilanjana Rifat Surovi told the court that the actress would come to court and requested that her cross-examination be scheduled for around noon.
Accordingly, the court set 12pm for Pori Moni’s cross-examination. She was called twice when the time came, but she had not arrived.
Her legal counsel Surovi said, “Pori Moni could not reach the court by 12pm because of traffic congestion. In the meantime, the hearings in all the cases had ended and the accused had also left.
“That is why the cross-examination did not take place today. Nov 30 has been set as the next date for the cross-examination.”
Pori Moni later arrived at the court premises and spoke to reporters.
The accused in the case are Nasir Uddin, Tuhin Siddiqui Omi and Shahidul Alam. They are out on bail. Shahidul did not appear in court on Sunday and the court granted his petition in court. The two other suspects appeared in court.
The case dates back to an allegation by Pori Moni that she was sexually accosted at a boat club on the banks of the Turag River in Birulia, on the outskirts of Dhaka, on Jun 8, 2021.
On the night of Jun 13, Pori Moni wrote in a Facebook post, “I have been physically assaulted. I was raped and an attempt was made to kill me. I want justice.”
The post, in which she appealed to the prime minister for justice, quickly spread across social media.
About an hour after publishing the post, Pori Moni held a press conference at her home in Gulshan and made the allegations. The following day, the actress filed a case at Savar Model Police Station accusing the men of attempted rape, attempted murder and assault.
Soon after the case was filed, the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police arrested businessman Nasir and Omi from a residence on Road 12 in Sector 1 of Uttara.
After completing the investigation, investigating officer and Savar Police Station Inspector Kamal Hossain submitted a charge sheet against the three suspects, including Nasir, to the court on Sept 6, 2021. Charges were framed against the accused on May 18 the following year, and the trial began.
Pori Moni began giving testimony on Nov 29 that year, but her testimony has yet to be completed. The trial of her case is being held on camera.
Pori Moni, who hails from Narail, made her film debut in 2015. She has since played lead roles in around two dozen films.
