Jatiya Nagorik Party’s chief organizer for the southern region, Hasnat Abdullah, has sharply criticized the arrest of actress Nusrat Fariha, calling it a political smokescreen designed to distract the public from ongoing justice failures and political controversies.
In a strongly worded Facebook post on Monday, Hasnat wrote, “This is not justice. This is Hasina-style diversion,” alleging that the government is using Fariha’s detention to shift focus from more pressing issues—such as the safe passage of murder suspects and stalled judicial proceedings.
He pointed to unresolved cases and alleged state complicity in allowing key individuals to flee the country, including Shirin Sharmin, who he claimed received a passport under government supervision. “The second tribunal was supposed to begin in January, and now it’s May with no sign of it,” he added.
Hasnat also raised questions about the fate of 626 unnamed individuals who were allegedly permitted to leave Bangladesh unimpeded. “And now you’re arresting Nusrat Fariha to create an illusion of justice?” he asked. “These are diversion tactics.”
Nusrat Fariha was taken into custody at Dhaka airport on Sunday and later shown arrested in an attempted murder case involving Enamul Haque, an activist with the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. The case is being handled by Bhatara Police Station.
Hasnat’s remarks sparked a wave of reactions online, with many social media users echoing his view that Fariha’s arrest is a calculated distraction from deeper systemic failures. As of now, the government has not issued a response to the accusations.
