Actress Mehazabien, brother exempted in intimidation case
In court, her legal counsel argued that the entire incident was fabricated and there had never been any communication or meeting between the accused and the plaintiff.
A Dhaka court has exempted actress Mehazabien Chowdhury and her brother, Alishan Chowdhury, from a case filed over allegations of threat and intimidation.
Dhaka Executive Magistrate Md Adnan Zulfiqar passed the order following a hearing this morning (12 January), defence lawyer Tuhin Hawladar confirmed.
This marks the end of a legal battle that began last year over a disputed financial transaction.
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The case was originally filed by a man named Amirul Islam under Sections 107 and 117(3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
According to the complaint, Amirul alleged that he had invested Tk27 lakh in a family business proposed by the actress.
He claimed that when he sought repayment after the venture failed to materialise, the siblings verbally abused him and issued death threats at a restaurant near Hatirjheel on 16 March last year.
The siblings appeared in the dock at around 11am, where Mehazabien categorically denied the claims made by the petitioner.
"We have never seen him [the plaintiff]. We do not know him, and we have never spoken to him. The question of issuing threats simply does not arise," Mehazabien told the court during the five-minute hearing.
'Fictitious' claims
Defence lawyer Tuhin Hawladar argued that the case was a calculated attempt to malign the actress's reputation. He pointed out several inconsistencies in the complaint, alleging that the plaintiff provided a fake address and a 12-digit mobile number in the case files.
"The five-page statement provided by the plaintiff is entirely fabricated. My client is a renowned actress, and this case was filed as part of a plan to tarnish her image. The claim of money changing hands in the Hatirjheel area is unbelievable," Hawladar stated, praying for the defendants' exemption.
In contrast, the plaintiff's lawyer, Raihan Gazi, sought more time for the hearing, claiming that the siblings had taken money from his client and later threatened him when he asked for repayment.
During the proceedings, the magistrate questioned the plaintiff directly about who had issued the threats. Amirul Islam told the judge that it was Alishan who had threatened him, rather than the actress herself, and that threats were also issued by various "unknown persons".
A question of proof
When the magistrate asked to present her counterstatement, Mehazabien spoke about the alleged financial transaction of Tk27 lakh via mobile financial services, she noted that the plaintiff had failed to provide any evidence of such a transfer.
The judge, however, clarified that the court was currently adjudicating the matter of intimidation rather than the financial dispute.
Upon the judge's inquiry about whether they would issue threats in the future, both Mehazabien and Alishan shook their heads and replied that there was no reason for them to do so.
Earlier, Mehazabien had vehemently denied the allegations from the outset, describing the case as "false, fabricated, and a deliberately spread rumour."
In a social media post, she maintained that she was never involved in any business dealings with him.
In court, her legal counsel argued that the entire incident was fabricated and there had never been any communication or meeting between the accused and the plaintiff.
The proceedings had previously faced delays due to the transfer of the presiding judge in December last year.
Earlier, on 16 November, Mehazabien and her brother surrendered to the court and were granted bail after an arrest warrant was briefly issued for their failure to appear at an initial hearing.
After reviewing the case files and hearing the defence's arguments today, the court found no merit in the allegations and ordered that both the actress and her brother be exempted from all charges."
