‘I voted for Sheikh Shaheb with these hands, I will vote for you also’

You have become a parliament member, contesting in the election for the very first time. How confident were you?

I was 100 per cent confident. I strongly believed that when the prime minister has kept her faith in me, trusted me, people of this country will also keep faith in me. I had entered the fray with that very confidence. I knew people love me, but I would have never realised that they love me so much if I hadn’t met them in person.

There was a time when you could be seen on the screen only. People used to visit the theatres to see you. But this time you went to people’s doors because of the election…

After going closer to people, I have had this realisation that they know a lot about us artistes. I realised they judge a person based on all the different types of news that are published about us. I found that they have all the updates about me.

They asked me, “You have come to ask for votes now, but will you still come when you have been elected?” I did go to them, right on the next day of being elected. Without telling anyone, I took some of the party men with me and met them all to whom I had made promises earlier. They were thrilled to see me again.

This matter of keeping the promises I had made, is very important. There were people who had promised me that they will go to vote. Meanwhile, some people had gone to cast their votes in wheelchairs and it brought tears in my eyes. I had told one of them to go home but they replied to me, ‘No, I will cast the last vote of my life for you.”

One person even said, “I voted for Sheikh Shaheb (Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman) with these hands, I will also vote for you with these same hands.” I am already an emotional person and hearing such words brought tears in my eyes for real. In fact, I wore sunglasses most of the time during the campaigns.

Why is that?

Because people used to say such things that are truly heart-touching. I used to get really emotional and tearful. I would wear sunglasses to hide the tears. The way people love me, it’s unimaginable.

Freedom fighters embraced me and told me, “I’ll vote for you.” New voters said, “I’ll vote for the actor.” Moving through dense crowd, a woman came to me and said, “I want to vote for you. But I’m a voter registered in Chuadanga. Please, help me change my constituency and bring me here.”

I talked to so many different types of people. I had gone to meet a person who was sick. That person told me, “Please pray for me so that I can live a few more days and cast my vote for you.” All these incidents happened in real right before my eyes. And they actually made me emotional a lot.

You contested in the parliament election. When in your 25-year acting career did the idea of joining active politics enter your head for the first time?

Politics is an emotional space to me. Being a politician means being a policymaker. But, I didn’t come here to be just a policy maker. I came in politics for the sake or people’s love and to be there for them.  It seemed to me that becoming a policymaker is a tough plus time consuming job.

But qualities such as loving people, going closer to them, creating room for faith, serving people, working for public interest and for public welfare have always been there in me from my family background. I have some beliefs of my own. I never wanted to be the cause of harm to anyone.

When I started working with the prime minister back in 2008, it was sporadic. I started working seriously from 2015. My father-in-law had also been a two-time parliament member from Awami League. I have seen him up close. He was a good human being and a leader of the people.  

Back then I had felt that if I was given the responsibility I would accept it. But I didn’t have the courage to say it. Then when the responsibility was given to Farooque Bhai (actor Farooque), it gave me more courage. Later, I wanted to contest in the by election when that constituency fell vacant.

I thought of asking for the chance. I felt that actor Farooque was there, it would be better if someone of us came in his place. But, then Arafat came there and it was good. I campaigned and worked for Arafat.

Finally this time I had the courage to ask for this responsibility. Actually, there’s a right time for everything. The time felt right this time to me. Maybe that’s why the prime minister has trusted me with the finest seat in Bangladesh. It’s a historical seat.

The constituency you contested from in Dhaka city is a very significant seat. In that sense you didn't have any such connection with the citizens of this constituency. Yet how did you make it possible?

I always had a connection with Dhanmondi. Since I used to study in Dhaka College, City College, Dhaka University. And my daughters attend Sunbeams School. In that sense there is a connection there. I also have a lot of friends there. And the most important thing is that people recognise me all over the country. I don't need any new introduction. Usually a candidate has to be introduced that this is the candidate from this constituency.

So when I went to campaign, everyone had the same question, “Will you come again, will you stay with us?” When I gave them that assurance, they also accepted me in their own way. My identity as an artiste came to use the most in this case. That's me, that’s my identity. Yet, the fact that I’m walking on a new path now, became possible only because of my identity as an artiste.

Your first identity is that you are a film actor. Will you continue with the acting?

Of course it will continue. I have liked the story of one of Mostafizur Rahman Manik’s films. In fact I liked it a lot. I might be acting in that film with actress Mahiya Mahi.