2024-09-08 19:17:41
During the student movement, a secret WhatsApp group of stars ‘Alo Ashbei’ was opened. Recently, some screenshots of the group were leaked. There was a storm of criticism on social media with the offensive comments of the artists. Actress Shamima Tushti is one of the four admins of the group. He stated his position amid intense criticism.
Shamima Tusti wrote on Facebook on Saturday (September 7), ‘I know that I may face abuse and trolls for what I am going to write right now. Still I want to clear my position. I want to say first that I am an active worker of a political party. Active worker of Bangladesh Awami League. This is because my father was a freedom fighter. In 1965, father was the organizing secretary of the Malibagh Awami League, so there was always this atmosphere in my house where I considered the forces of the liberation war as my own. I don’t think my bias is wrong either. I think I made my participation right. But despite being a member of this group, I have some judgments of my own. As you all know, one works as a worker of a party, then he has to do according to the words of the leaders of that party. There is no situation to work against those party instructions. And I don’t want to do that as a party worker.’
He also wrote, ‘So I am not a supporter of this murder, this brutality against students. I was not even for a minute. Many workers in Bangladesh Awami League were not like that. Many of us needed to take positions. It was needed long ago. I know many of you will be offended by this too. But I hope you will agree that we are too late to know what is happening in Bangladesh. News also filters through party politics. I thought about the condition of the one whose child is gone. Every moment I, some of us, went to take a position. Those positions have become other positions due to some or the other. We went on BTV, artists protested against the violence and killing of students, but it didn’t make it to the news. But what has come has created room for more misunderstandings. But I will not say that what has been seen is not right either. We also visited the injured in the hospital. And even then I was not able to understand everything.’
Not trying to change sides, Tusti said, ‘Whatever we thought, we had no way of fully knowing what the party was going to do or what it would do. I am not trying to change sides by saying this. Rather, I have come to tell you about my intentions and situation because of the serious mistakes I had on behalf of my party. I run an organization where the vast majority do not support this violence, this killing. But every day there are new deaths as we wonder how we can take a position. Every day I have moved away from you more and more.’
“I was in a WhatsApp group,” he said, referring to the artists’ secret WhatsApp group ‘Alo Ashbayi’. I have also said that I have to go and talk to everyone. They need to be stopped. But things were happening so fast I didn’t get a chance to tell you what I don’t support. Moreover, many of my colleagues were also inside these, but later they may not have been. They also abused me a lot. But I want to say that I tried to do a lot for my colleagues. I will still do so. Apart from this, we have not contacted our senior colleagues for proper guidance. That also got me thinking.’
Claiming that the actress does not support all the activities of the party, she wrote, ‘I am still late to speak before you. Fear of the hate we face, the abuse I might receive, has made me delay even longer. But I explained to myself, I have to accept these criticisms and insults and trolls. And you have to learn through them. Please don’t misunderstand. I did not come from the desire to change the party. I am here to state that I do not support all the activities of the leaders of the party I belong to. I have come to inform, even if I am a party, I do not sell my judgment and conscience.’
The actress also said that she did not open her mouth for fear of trolls and abuse. Shamima Tusti wrote, ‘I came before you very late. But my feelings are not new. It was happening from the beginning. I really didn’t write before for fear of trolls. I wasn’t in the mood to take so many trolls and insults. I managed to control myself a bit now. I hope I will have the patience to take all your words.’
Finally he wrote, ‘From such a place I made my position clear to you. I wish everyone well. I hope that the sacrifice of the martyrs does not fail in Bangladesh.