Speaking on the arrest of actress Nusraat Faria, home affairs adviser Lieutenant General (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said, “Now, if there’s a case against her, what should we do? If we let her go, then you would say, ‘Sir, you spared her’.”
The adviser said this in response to journalists’ questions during a press briefing following a meeting of the law and order committee held at the secretariat in the afternoon today, Monday regarding the observance of Eid-ul-Azha.
Actress Nusraat Faria was arrested from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on Sunday. The court issued an order to send her to prison in an attempt to murder case filed with Vatara police station in the capital. Cultural affairs adviser Mostafa Sarwar Farooki posted a status about Nusraat Faria’s arrest on his Facebook wall at 11:12 am today.
Journalists raised questions to the home affairs adviser about this arrest during the press briefing at the secretariat. A journalist said, a film actress was arrested at the airport yesterday. Cultural affairs adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki has criticised it (the arrest) today. What is the home affairs adviser’s view on this, asked the journalist.
In reply, the home adviser said that he was not aware of what the cultural affairs adviser has done. It’s a matter of personal opinion. Everyone has the right to freedom of expression, he remarked.
Another journalist addressing the home affairs adviser stated that the offenders of the July mass uprising will of course be tried. Carrying out this trial is the mandate of this government. The government has public support in this matter. But going beyond this, what if someone feels they’re being harassed...!
The home affairs adviser replied that he has said this many times that no one should be a victim of harassment. He said they will obviously take action for that. Only those who are offenders should be brought to justice and face penalty.
Not even a single innocent person should suffer punishment under any circumstances. They will obviously take measures to ensure that, he added.
In reply to the question asked regarding the arrest of Nusraat Faria, the adviser stated that the investigation against her is not finished yet. And, he cannot comment anything until the investigation is complete.
In response to another question mentioning that Nusraat Faria was going abroad for medical treatment and she was apprehended at the airport on her way, the home affairs adviser stated, “Now, if there’s a case against her, what should we do? If we let her go, then you would say, ‘Sir, you spared her’.”