Legal notice served on Pori Moni over journalist harassment and national anthem insult

A legal notice has been sent to film actress Pori Moni (Shamsunnahar Smriti), calling on her to apologise over allegations of harassing journalists and insulting the national anthem. Copies of the notice were also given to the president and general secretary of the Bangladesh Film Artistes' Association.

Supreme Court lawyer Hasan Shahriar sent the notice on Sunday (8 November).

The notice directs Pori Moni to apologise in writing, unconditionally, within seven days for the incident that took place on the court premises. It also asks her to stay completely away in future from obscene talk, threats, ugly gestures, or nude and vulgar dancing and singing — in films, videos or any other medium — that have no artistic or educational value.

In addition, the notice calls on the president and general secretary of the artistes' association to issue a show-cause notice to Pori Moni within seven days of receiving the notice and to take the necessary disciplinary action against her. Otherwise, appropriate legal steps will be taken later, it says.

According to the notice, on November 5, 2026, Shamsunnahar Smriti, also known as Pori Moni, surrendered before the court and secured bail in a case filed by businessman Nasir Uddin Mahmud. At 11:40 in the morning, as she got out of her car and walked towards the courtroom, journalists tried to take photographs and videos, and a scuffle broke out with her security guards.

At that time, Pori Moni snatched the mobile phone of Rabiul Hossain, multimedia reporter of Samakal, and her security guards broke his video tripod. In the scuffle, Jago News reporter Ashiquzzaman and multimedia reporter Abdullah Al Kawsar, Agamir Somoy reporter Siam Hossain, and Shah Riaz of Times Today were injured. Media reports also said that Sujan Chandra Moni Das, a litigant, suffered a head injury and bled.

The notice states that ensuring everyone's safety on court premises is the responsibility of the state and the administration, and that no one has any legal scope to display muscle power with multiple private security guards or to control the court environment.

Later, after leaving the court, Pori Moni charged towards reporter Rabiul Hossain — whose right hand is congenitally disabled (smaller than the left hand and missing three fingers). According to the notice, she abused him, saying, "Come here, why did you hold my hand like that?" and publicly threatened to kill him, saying, "I will crush you to death," a video of which has been aired in the media.

The notice says Pori Moni's behaviour towards a professional journalist is not only an attack on professional dignity but a grave threat to independent journalism and the media. Such behaviour is not at all expected from a film actress, it says.

The legal notice further alleges that on November 6, 2026, Pori Moni posted an obscene post on her verified Facebook page, using Bangladesh's national anthem as music. After media reports about these controversial acts, netizens began posting negative and critical comments on social media.

The notice says that if she does not apologise within seven days and the artistes' association does not take action by issuing a show-cause notice, further legal steps will follow.