Worried about what happened, admit Bangladeshi actors

An incident in Bengal’s Raiganj has sent shockwaves in faraway Dhaka. After Ferdous was “blacklisted” on Tuesday and asked to return to Bangladesh on being spotted at a political campaign, several actors from opar Bangla have been a concerned lot. While some were forthcoming in sharing their thoughts, many stayed away from making a comment should it add fuel to fire.
Actress Jaya Ahsan said there has been an outpouring of messages since Tuesday’s incident. “I have received many messages and to everyone who has been worrying about me, I want to say that I am working in Dhaka at the moment. I am a Bangali from Bangladesh and the reason I work in Bengal is because I feel I have a lot to contribute to films there. I have great regards for India and have received a lot of love from Indian movie lovers. An artiste’s job is to bring two countries close through cultural exchange. My prime focus too is just that. No one expects a foreign national to be involved in a country’s politics. Like a Bangladeshi national should not be involved in Indian politics, an Indian should steer clear of Bangladeshi politics. Apart from acting, nothing else interests me and that’s how I want it to be,” she said.

Jaya is currently busy promoting the Bongomata International Woman Football Gold Cup as its brand ambassador. She has a Tollywood release coming up in May and will be back in Bengal in a few days.
Nusraat Faria, who replaced Mimi Chakraborty in Birsa Dasgupta’s Bibaho Obhijaan and is currently in Dhaka, said she is aware of the incident. “It’s extremely sad. Ferdous is my family friend. If he has been part of any campaign, it sure was an emotional act on his part. We come from another country and must abide by the laws of the land,” she said, adding that often artistes go the extra mile to do something out of love.

Bidya Sinha Mim, who was last seen in Srijit Mukherji’s Yeti Obhijaan, said Ferdous has a soul connect with Bengal. “I know Ferdous bhaiya for many years and he really loves Bengal. Whatever he has done is out of love. If we Bangladeshis get 5% love, we like to give back 500%. Having said that, it’s important to be well-versed with a country’s rules. If no foreign national is allowed to take part in campaigns, then one must respect that. It’s unfortunate that he has got embroiled in such a controversy,” she told us.