The incident took place on Thursday at the Dhaka Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, where tensions reportedly escalated as the actress arrived to surrender before the court and seek bail. A court visitor also sustained a head injury after allegedly being pushed by members of her security team.

The developments came a day after the court cancelled Pori Moni’s bail and issued an arrest warrant against her in connection with the case.

Pori Moni arrived at the court premises at around 9.30am on Thursday to surrender and apply for bail. She initially remained inside her vehicle, surrounded by her personal security personnel, who appeared to restrict the movement of people in the immediate vicinity.

Around 11 security guards dressed in black were seen accompanying the actress, along with several others wearing plain clothes. Their presence attracted considerable attention, while journalists from different media organisations gathered at the court premises after learning that she would appear before the court.

At around 11.40am, Pori Moni stepped out of her vehicle and headed towards the courtroom. Her security personnel formed a protective circle around her as she made her way inside.

Problems reportedly began when journalists attempted to take photographs and record videos. The security guards allegedly pushed members of the media as they tried to cover the actress’s arrival.

While getting into a lift, Pori Moni allegedly took the mobile phone of Robiul Hossain, a multimedia reporter for the Bengali-language daily Samakal, as he was recording her. Hossain subsequently managed to retrieve the device by pulling it back.

The actress then appeared before the court of Mahfuzur Rahman, acting judge of Senior Judicial Magistrate Court-1 in Dhaka.

During the proceedings, Pori Moni, who had initially been sitting on the courtroom bench, moved to the dock reserved for defendants. Her lawyer, Nilanjana Rifat Suravi, sought bail on her behalf and presented arguments before the court.

After hearing the application, the court granted her bail against a bond of Tk 500.

However, tensions reportedly continued when the actress left the courtroom after securing bail. Her security personnel again surrounded her, and further pushing and jostling allegedly took place as journalists attempted to photograph and film her departure.

A court visitor named Sujan Chandra Moni Das sustained a head injury during the commotion. Blood was reportedly seen coming from his head after he was allegedly pushed by members of the actress’s security team.

Sujan’s brother, who declined to disclose his identity, alleged that they had come to the court for personal reasons and were standing in the corridor when the incident occurred.

” We had come to the court and were standing there. Pori Moni’s security guards pushed my brother, causing his head to split open,” he said.

After coming downstairs, Pori Moni reportedly approached Samakal reporter Robiul Hossain in an aggressive manner before getting into her vehicle. She was also accused of verbally abusing journalists present at the scene. She subsequently left the court premises.

There were further allegations that members of her security team had pushed several other journalists during the incident.

Efforts were being made by bdnews24.com to obtain Pori Moni’s comments on the allegations. Her response was not available in the report.

Background of the Case

The legal dispute dates back to 6 July 2022, when businessman Nasir Uddin Mahmud filed a case against Pori Moni and others, accusing them of assault, vandalism and intimidation.

Following the filing of the case, the court directed the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to investigate the allegations and submit a report.

On 18 March 2023, the investigation officer, Monir Hossain, an inspector with the PBI’s Dhaka district unit, submitted an investigation report to the court. The report stated that evidence had been found supporting the allegations of assault and intimidation against Pori Moni and her costume designer, Junaed Bogdadi Jimi.

On 18 April that year, the court issued summons requiring both accused to appear on 25 June. They subsequently surrendered before the court on the scheduled date and secured bail.

The case moved to another stage on 26 January last year, when the then Senior Judicial Magistrate of Dhaka, Mohammad Junaid, ordered the framing of charges against Pori Moni and Junaed Bogdadi Jimi, paving the way for the trial to begin.

Pori Moni failed to appear before the court on that day, prompting the issuance of an arrest warrant against her. However, she surrendered and obtained bail the following day.

On 27 March, the actress filed a revision petition challenging the court’s order framing charges against her. The application was subsequently dismissed on 12 September by Sajjadur Rahman Khan, judge of the Ninth Additional District and Sessions Judge’s Court in Dhaka.

In dismissing the petition, the court ruled that there was no legal impediment to continuing the proceedings.

Thursday’s appearance was therefore another development in the ongoing case, which has been progressing through the judicial process since 2022. The latest incident at the court has also drawn attention to the conduct of private security personnel accompanying public figures, particularly when journalists and ordinary court visitors are present.

While the allegations surrounding the confrontation remain subject to verification, the reported injury to a court visitor and the dispute involving a journalist’s mobile phone have added a fresh dimension to the controversy surrounding the actress’s court appearance.