Depletion of Options Postpones Pori Moni Drug Case Hearing

A special court in Dhaka has deferred the charge framing hearing against popular Bangladeshi film actress Pori Moni in a high-profile narcotics case until 29 September. The postponement was granted after the actress failed to appear in court, citing her young son’s sudden illness following a routine vaccination as well as his birthday celebrations.

The proceedings were scheduled to take place on Monday, 10 August, before Judge Robiul Alam of the Special Judge Court-10 of Dhaka. When the matter was called, Pori Moni’s legal representative, Advocate Nilanjana Rifat Surovi, submitted a formal petition seeking additional time on behalf of her client.

In the application presented to the court, the defence explained that Pori Moni’s child had developed a fever shortly after receiving a vaccination. Compounded by the child’s birthday falling on the same date, the actress was unable to travel to the judicial complex. Accepting the grounds detailed in the petition, Judge Robiul Alam fixed 29 September as the new date for the charge framing hearing, a development later confirmed by Advocate Nilanjana Rifat.

Origin of the Narcotics Charges

The case against the Bengali cinema star traces back to a tumultuous series of events during the summer of 2021. In June of that year, Pori Moni sparked widespread national discourse after publicly alleging that an influential businessman had attempted to rape and murder her at a social club on the outskirts of Dhaka.

Barely two months later, on 4 August 2021, elite crime-fighting unit the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) conducted a high-profile raid on Pori Moni’s residence in the affluent Banani neighbourhood of the capital. Performing a search of the premises, RAB personnel claimed to have recovered foreign liquor, various narcotics, and alcohol bottles. The actress was taken into custody on the spot, and a formal case under the Narcotics Control Act was instituted against her at the local police station.

Following her arrest, Pori Moni spent nearly a month in judicial custody before securing bail on 1 September 2021. The investigation was subsequently handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the police. On 4 October 2021, CID Inspector Kazi Golam Mostofa submitted a formal charge sheet naming Pori Moni alongside two co-accused: her personal manager, Ashraful Islam Dipu, and her maternal uncle, Kabir Hossain Howlader.

Complex Legal Battles and High Court Intervention

The judicial process has encountered multiple procedural hurdles since its inception. On 5 January 2022, a lower court formally framed charges against all three individuals and ordered the trial to commence. Testimonial evidence began shortly thereafter, with the case’s original complainant, RAB-1 Officer Mojibor Rahman, taking the witness stand to deliver his initial deposition.

However, Pori Moni’s legal team promptly challenged the validity of the trial proceedings, moving the High Court Division to quash the case against her altogether. On 1 March 2022, the High Court issued a rule asking why the proceedings should not be set aside, simultaneously placing a three-month stay order on the trial in relation to Pori Moni.

Following a prolonged legal back-and-forth over jurisdictional jurisdiction and procedure, the higher judiciary eventually instructed the trial court to conduct fresh charge-framing proceedings. As a result, the special court must now re-examine the charges against Pori Moni and her two associates on the newly appointed September date before the trial can move into its evidentiary phase.