BANGLADESH

TV actor-director couple Toukir Ahmed and Bipasha Hayat have been sued in the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate's Court for allegedly embezzling Tk 1.5 million.

Toukir's sister Tanjin Haider filed the case on Monday.

Metropolitan magistrate Mohammad Shahadat Hossain has taken the plaintiff's testimony and said an order will be passed on the matter later.

Advocate Taimur Alam Khandaker argued the case on behalf of the plaintiff at the hearing. Advocate Zakaria Haider took part in the hearing on behalf of the defendants.

Tanjin said she and her husband formed a company in joint venture with Toukir and Bipasha to build and run the 'Nakkhtrabari Resort and Convention Centre' on 25 bigha land at Rajendrapur, Gazipur. Her husband Syed Ali Haider became the chairman of the company with Toukir its managing director.

Tanjin claimed she and her husband gave Toukir a total Tk 1.5 million in cash and USD 177,422 through bank. She added that she even had to sell her paternal property at Tangail to find the money.

The case accuses Toukir and Bipasha of 'deceitfully' buying land and building the resort under their names. Tanjin alleged that she and her husband were not being allowed to go to the resort and instead were being threatened.

According to case details, Tanjin served a legal notice on Toukir and Bipasha in January this year but the couple did not resolve the issue then.

Seven people have been made witnesses in the case.

Toukir was awarded the National Film Awards in 2004 for his liberation war-based movie 'Jayjatra' in 2004. His wife, Bipasha, is the daughter of another popular Bangladeshi actor Abul Hayat. She won the National Film Award as best actress in the film Aaguner Parashmoni.

Toukir also Daruchini Dwip that won the National Film Awards in seven categories in 2007.