Prova speaks out about ‘bad touch’; Pori Moni stands by her

BanglaPress Desk: Recently, film actress Pori Moni has become the subject of intense discussion and criticism after alleging a "bad touch" (inappropriate physical contact) within the court premises. In response to her accusation against a journalist, most netizens have sided with the journalist. Furthermore, no eyewitnesses have come forward to confirm that Pori Moni was subjected to any such "bad touch" by the journalist in question.

Amidst this, another high-profile actress, Sadia Jahan Prova, has come out in support of Pori Moni. However, by speaking up for her, Prova herself has now faced a wave of criticism.

On Thursday night (November 5), Sadia Jahan Prova posted a video message on her verified Facebook account, in which she appeared visibly emotional and angry.

At the beginning of the video, Prova stated, "There are some matters that I cannot simply ignore; if I do, I feel guilty and diminished in my own conscience." Referring to the incident involving Pori Moni, she criticized the journalist, urging the audience, "Do not support him. We [women] often have to face such situations."

While expressing her support for Pori Moni, Prova shared a bitter experience from her own life, claiming that she, too, had been subjected to similar circumstances in the past.

Recounting the incident, Prova said, "I was attending a promotional event for a cosmetics brand when several journalists surrounded me." Pausing briefly to contain her anger, she added, "Believe me, had he not been a journalist, I would have struck him with my own sandal! I even asked him, with a forced smile, 'Couldn't you tell that I was feeling uncomfortable?'"

Prova alleged that, taking advantage of the crowd, one journalist—holding multiple microphones—moved uncomfortably close to her body (gesturing toward her chest area). She noted that as she tried to step back, the journalist’s hand kept moving even closer to her. According to the actress, even the slightest movement at that moment could have resulted in a ‘bad touch’—an unwanted physical contact.

In the context of the Pori Moni incident, Prabha called for a boycott of the journalist in question—or at least urged others not to stand by him—while also demanding an investigation into the entire episode. However, her sympathetic video message failed to win over the general public. Instead, the release of her statement triggered a wave of sharp criticism in the comments sections across social media.

Many have expressed disagreement with Prabha’s stance, raising a number of questions in response.