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Film actress Pori Moni has denied accusations of assaulting a domestic worker, describing them as part of a “conspiracy”.
She also urged journalists to refrain from conducting a “media trial” before the issue is legally resolved.
“Anyone can make an accusation, but can you declare someone guilty before it's proven? Stop this media trial. Today, the public itself is a media,” she said during a Facebook Live session on Saturday at 1:45am.
In the 21-minute live video, the actress responded to an allegation made by a young woman named Pinky Akhter, who recently reported to Vatara Police Station, claiming that Pori Moni had beaten her.
Sub-Inspector Arifur Islam said Pinky alleged she was assaulted after dropping a child.
“She claims Pori Moni beat her because she dropped the baby,” he said.
Md Majharul Islam, chief of the station, confirmed that a domestic help had brought the allegation and said they were “investigating the matter”.
Journalists had tried contacting Pori Moni over phone multiple times before she finally addressed the issue on Facebook.
In the live video, Pori Moni explained: "If you look at how I’ve lived, you’ll see that my entire family consists of my staff, not relatives. I’ve always celebrated special days like Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day with them."
She continued, “This girl [Pinky] has been with me for less than a month. She might claim to be my domestic worker, but I wouldn’t even call her that.”
Calling the accusation part of a “conspiracy”, Pori Moni said: “I’ve kept quiet on many things, but I don’t want small issues to uncover larger problems. I just want to live peacefully with my two children and this family.”
“I have staff who’ve been with me for years – one has worked here for nine years, my driver has been with me for four. So many people have been working with me for long periods.”
About Pinky, she asked: “Why would someone suddenly raise such allegations within a month? I trust the law. I don’t know why she’s done this, but I have all the evidence. I didn’t want to show them live. I’ll handle this legally.”
The actress also expressed frustration over how the media reported the incident based on the police complaint.
“Couldn’t the journalists wait a little?” she asked. “They tortured me with the way the story was exaggerated, the way her interview was presented. Doesn’t that mean we’re giving her special privilege as journalists?”
“Just because someone files a GD (general diary or police complaint) against me, does that automatically justify the claim? It’s not about me being humiliated or not. If I do anything wrong, I should face consequences,” she said.
She urged the public to refrain from labelling someone guilty before the facts are clear, saying: “Anyone can file a complaint, but that doesn’t mean you declare someone guilty before it's proven. Stop this media trial. The public is the real media.”
Pori Moni, known for her frequent appearances in the news, signed a new film titled Golap on Jan 31, where she plays the role of Rupa.
She has recently wrapped up shooting for Dodo’r Golpo, which is awaiting release.
Her web series Rongila Kitab was released a few weeks ago.