Actors Nusraat, Apu, Bhabna and Zayed Khan accused in attempted murder case

Actor Iresh Zaker has also been implicated in a murder case on Apr 20

A total of 17 actors, including Nusraat Faria, Apu Biswas, Nipun Akter, Ashna Habib Bhabna, and Zayed Khan, have been accused in a case alongside ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina on charges of attempted murder during the Anti-discrimination Movement.

The plaintiff, Enamul Haque, initiated the case against 283 people at the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court in Dhaka in March.

On the court's order, Bhatara police began the process of registering the case on Tuesday.

Inspector (Investigation) Sujan Haque told bdnews24.com, “We’ve received documents today. The registration process is under way."

Actors Suborna Mustafa, Rokeya Prachi, Sohana Saba, Meher Afroz Shaon, Jyotika Jyoti, Symon Sadik, and Azizul Hakim are among the accused in the case.

Meanwhile, Hasina and 406 others were accused in a case filed at a Dhaka court on Mar 20 over the death of BNP activist Mahfuz Alam Shrabon in Mirpur during the Anti-discrimination Movement. Actor Iresh Zaker has also been implicated in the case.

Cultural Affairs Advisor Mostafa Sarwar Farooki described the case against Iresh as "disturbing" during a discussion.

Speaking to journalists at the Secretariat on Monday, he said: “I am in the government now. If I was an activist, I could talk a lot. I personally know Iresh Zaker. He was also involved in the July movement. That’s why it’s truly upsetting."

Referring to the case, he said: "Now everyone has the freedom to file a case. But some are misusing it."

At a press conference on the same day, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Baharul Alam also spoke about the large numbers of accused in the cases becoming overwhelming for police to manage.

He said, “Some time ago, [officers-in-charge] at the police stations used to listen to the complaints, write them down, and take signatures.

“But now, since literacy rates have increased, people bring written complaints themselves. When a complainant brings in a written statement, under the law we cannot go beyond that.”

He added, “Whether it is true or false — we have no opportunity to verify that at the filing stage. Whatever the complainant submits, we must accept exactly that as a case. Only during the investigation can we determine how much of it is true or false.”

He advised those wrongfully implicated to avoid falling into complainants’ traps and instead seek police assistance.