Bangladesh film director held in KL on human trafficking charge

KUALA LUMPUR: Police have confirmed that a Bangladeshi film director and his assistant have been detained for their alleged involvement in human trafficking activities during a cultural show here.
Dang Wangi district police chief ACP Shaharudin Abdullah said personnel from Bukit Aman nabbed the duo on Sunday with 17 other people.
"Policemen detained about 19 people including the film director," Shaharudin told theSun when contacted.
However, Shaharudin said he could not provide more details on the case as police are in the midst of ascertaining the suspects' background prior to the case.
It was reported that the Bangladeshi director was detained when he came to the city to organise a cultural event, 'Cinematic Bangladeshi Nights'.
According to the report, the director was accused of trafficking 57 people to Malaysia in the name of arranging the cultural event. Police also held 57 allegedly trafficked people for interrogation, it added.
The report quoted Bangladesh High Commissioner to Malaysia Md Shahidul Islam as saying: "We've learnt about the incident and we're looking into the matter. This kind of incident in a foreign country is very embarrassing."
It said a team of Bangladeshi artistes including director Debasish Biswas, singer Asif Akbar, film actresses Ireen, and Mishti Jannat, actors Nirab and Imon, model and actresses Anika Kabir Shokh and Anisha Habib Bhabna and members of musical band Chirkut are in Kuala Lumpur to perform in the programme.
"We've come to know that Anonno Mamum has brought 57 people to Malaysia in the name of the cultural event," presenter of the cultural programme Debasish Biswas told the portal.
"He has taken money from all of them. Each of them have already confessed that to the Malaysian police. A team of Malaysian police have talked with us. We had no idea about this before."