Complaint filed against 27 artists at ICT

A complaint has been filed with Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal against 27 artists, cultural figures and media personalities, accusing them of inciting, aiding and abetting alleged crimes committed during the July 2024 mass uprising.

The complaint was submitted to International Crimes Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Aminul Islam by Al Noor Mohammad Ayas, central member secretary of the State Dialogue Forum (SDF), on Sunday.

The accused include former lawmaker and actor Ferdous Ahmed, veteran actor and former cultural affairs minister Asaduzzaman Noor, actress and filmmaker Meher Afroz Shaon, film actress Mahiya Mahi, content creator Hero Alom, television presenter Soma Islam and journalist Anis Alamgir.

Following the submission, Chief Prosecutor Aminul Islam said the allegations would be investigated and that legal action would be taken if warranted. However, no charges have yet been framed, and the tribunal has not determined whether the allegations justify a formal investigation.

According to the complaint, the accused publicly encouraged, supported or directly or indirectly instigated attacks on student protesters and acts of mass violence during the July movement. It further alleges that some of those named continued to make provocative statements and publish social media posts targeting participants in the July uprising after the movement ended.