Facing Arrest Warrant, Pori Moni Surrenders in Court and Seeks Bail

Actress Pori Moni has surrendered in court and applied for bail after an arrest warrant was issued against her in a case over allegations of assaulting businessman Nasir Uddin Mahmud, vandalising a club and issuing threats.

She appeared at the Dhaka Judicial Magistrate Court premises at around 9:30am on Thursday and filed the application.

Pori Moni's lawyer Nilanjana Rifat (Survi) confirmed the matter. She said that after the court issued the arrest warrant against her client on Wednesday, Pori Moni voluntarily surrendered and prayed for bail out of respect for the law.

Earlier on Wednesday, on the scheduled date for recording testimony, Pori Moni was absent from court because of physical illness caused by allergy. Her lawyers sought time, but the court rejected the plea, accepted the complainant's application to cancel bail and ordered an arrest warrant against her.

According to the case records, on 6 July 2021 businessman Nasir Uddin Mahmud, president of Dhaka Boat Club, filed this complaint case in a Dhaka court against three people including Pori Moni.

Later, Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) Inspector Md Monir Hossain completed the investigation and in 2024 submitted a report saying primary truth had been found in the allegations against Pori Moni and her costume designer Junayed Bogdadi Jimmy, alias Jim.

After the court took the investigation report into cognisance and issued summons, Pori Moni appeared in court on 25 June 2024 and obtained bail. Later, on 26 January last year, charges were framed against the accused and the formal trial was ordered to begin.

According to Nasir Uddin Mahmud's case statement, late on the night of 9 June 2021 the accused entered the Boat Club in Savar and drank alcohol. At one stage, when they demanded a costly foreign liquor bottle as a free parcel, the complainant refused, the case says.

The complaint further alleges that, angered by the refusal, Pori Moni abused him and threw a serving glass and her own mobile phone, injuring Nasir Uddin in the chest and head, and that vandalism was carried out at the club.

The case also alleges that to divert the incident and gain legal advantage, Pori Moni later filed a counter case at Savar police station over attempted rape and attempted murder.