After India, now allegations of promoting love jihad has emerged in Bangladesh also. Minority Hindus in the country has sent a legal notice to the producer, director and actors of an upcoming teledrama named Bijoya, which was scheduled to release on the occasion of Durga puja. Lawyer and Bangladeshi Hindu activist Suman Kumar Rai sent the legal notice on the behalf of one Litan Krishna Das alleging that the show promotes communal disharmony and religious conversion.
The notice has been sent to actress Nusrat Imroz Tisha, actor Irfan Sajjad, writer Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury and director Abu Hayat Mahmud Bhuiyan on Monday. Suman Rai said that if the makers of the drama do not announce the withdrawal of the same withing seven days, they will take strong legal action against them.
Talking to media, Suman Rai said that from the trailer of the drama released on social media, it is evident the show hurts the sentiments of Hindus. He said that the show does character assassination of Hindu women depicting them as immoral, and the Hindu men are presented as alcoholic, cruel, worthless and heartless people. It has been alleged that the show encourages adultery and religious conversion of Hindu women.
As per trailers of the drama produced by Crown Entertainment, Tisha is seen enacting the role of a Hindu woman married to a Hindu man at least 20 years elder than her. Her husband Haridas is a cruel alcoholic man, and this pushes Tisha’s character to an extra-marital affair with a Muslim man in whom she finds love and protection.
After the trailer was released, it attracted strong criticism from Hindus in Bangladesh on social media. Many social media users targeted the actors and makers of the show on social media, with reportedly some of them even issuing threats. Following the backlash, the promo of the puja special show has been suspended, which is to be aired on BanglaVision.
Director Abu Hayat Mahmud Bhuiyan wrote on Facebook informing that they have suspended the publicity of the drama due to protests by Hindus and legal notice sent to them. “We have taken a decision by talking to the production organization a little early, as the Sanatan Hindu religious brothers and sisters have not seen the drama, we have suspended the publicity of the drama to color the festival of Durga Puja and so that you do not have any pain in your mind for any reason,” he said.
Bhuiyan also announced that he has also decided not to create any television drama in the future on the occasion of Puja
The makers of the show have rejected the allegations that it promotes adultery and love jihad. They have said that some people are spreading misinformation about the show even before its release.