Legal notice demands Pori Moni’s apology

A legal notice has been served on actress Pori Moni over allegations of harassing journalists and disrespecting Bangladesh’s national anthem.

Supreme Court lawyer Hasan Shahriar sent the notice on Sunday (November 8), naming actress Shamsunnahar Smrity, popularly known as Pori Moni, as well as the president and general secretary of the Bangladesh Film Artists Association as respondents.

The notice demands that Pori Moni issue an unconditional written apology within seven days for an incident that allegedly took place on the court premises. It also urges her to refrain from making obscene remarks, delivering vulgar dialogues, issuing threats, engaging in obscene performances or gestures, and performing nude or semi-nude dances.

It further calls on her to avoid producing or displaying such content through films, videos, audio-visual materials, photographs, graphics or other media if they have no artistic or educational value.

The notice also asks the Film Artists Association to issue a show-cause notice to the actress within seven days and take appropriate disciplinary action against her. It warns that failure to comply will prompt further legal action.

According to the notice, Pori Moni appeared before a court on November 5, 2026, and secured bail after surrendering in a case filed by businessman Nasir Uddin Mahmud.

At around 11:40am that day, as she got out of her vehicle and headed towards the courtroom, journalists attempted to take photographs and record videos of her. A scuffle reportedly broke out between journalists and members of her security team.

The notice alleges that Pori Moni snatched the mobile phone of Samakal multimedia reporter Robiul Hossain. It also claims that security personnel accompanying the actress damaged a tripod used by the journalist to record footage.

Several journalists were reportedly injured during the altercation, including Jago News reporter Ashikuzzaman, multimedia reporter Abdullah Al Kawsar, Agamir Shomoy reporter Siam Hossain and Times Today journalist Shah Riaz. A court visitor named Sujan Chandra Moni Das was also injured. Media reports said he sustained a head injury that caused bleeding.

The notice states that ensuring the safety of everyone on court premises is the responsibility of the state and the administration. It argues that private security personnel cannot be allowed to control the court environment or display physical force.

It further alleges that after leaving the court, Pori Moni confronted Samakal multimedia reporter Robiul Hossain, verbally abused him and threatened to kill him.

The notice states that Robiul has a congenital disability affecting his right hand, which has only three fingers and cannot be used normally. It also says footage of the alleged incident was broadcast by various media outlets.

Describing the alleged conduct as an attack on the professional dignity of a journalist, the notice says such behaviour threatens press freedom and creates an intimidating environment for journalists carrying out their professional duties. It adds that such conduct is unbecoming of a professional film actress.

Separately, the notice raises allegations concerning a Facebook post published on November 6, 2026, from Pori Moni's verified account. It claims that she used Bangladesh's national anthem as background music in what the notice describes as an obscene post.

The matter reportedly drew media coverage and spread across social media platforms, where the post attracted various negative reactions in the comments sections.

The allegations and demands outlined in the legal notice have not, in themselves, established any wrongdoing by the actress.