Bangladeshi actor who played Sheikh Hasina in Mujib biopic arrested in Dhaka

Popular Bangladeshi actor Nusraat Faria, who essayed the role of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s biopic ‘Mujib: The Making of a Nation’, was arrested at Dhaka airport on Sunday. She was arrested in a case related to attempted murder during the mass uprising against Hasina in July last year.

The 31-year-old was arrested from the immigration check point at the Shahjalal International Airport when she was on her way to Thailand this morning, Prothom Alo newspaper reported.

An arrest warrant was issued against Faria in connection with a case filed on charges of attempted murder during the anti-government protests, which resulted in Hasina resigning and fleeing to neighbouring India, a source from the Dhaka airport’s immigration unit said.

Assistant Commissioner of Police in Badda Zone, Shafiqul Islam, confirmed to Prothom Alo that the actor had been arrested.

A police source said Faria was taken to Vatara police station in Dhaka following her arrest. She was later transferred to the office of the Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), according to Prothom Alo.

Faria played the role of Hasina in the 2023 film, ‘Mujib: The Making of a Nation’, which was directed by late director Shyam Benegal. The movie was a joint production of Bangladesh and India.

The 31-year-old began her career as a radio jockey and presenter. She made her acting debut in the 2015 Bangladesh-India joint production film ‘Aashiqui: True Love’.

Faria has worked in several Bangladeshi and Indian films, mostly Bengali. Apart from that, she is also active in television hosting and modelling.