The Acting Artistes’ Association of Bangladesh has suspended the memberships of actresses Tanjin Tisha and Samia Othoi indefinitely following a dispute over an alleged assault on a shooting set, after repeated attempts by the organisation to resolve the matter failed.

The decision was taken at a regular meeting of the association’s executive committee, following a recommendation from its arbitration committee. According to separate letters sent to the two actresses on October 4, both had been issued show-cause notices on July 7 over the proposed suspension of their memberships, but neither submitted a written response to the association.

The letters, signed by general secretary Rashed Mamun Apu and organisational secretary Masud Rana Mithu, stated that the dispute had been discussed at an arbitration meeting before the executive committee decided to suspend their memberships indefinitely. The decision became public on Friday night.

Following the announcement, Tisha addressed the dispute and the suspension in a Facebook Live session lasting around 25 minutes on Friday night. She discussed the incident involving Othoi, the association’s arbitration process and her experiences over the past eight months.

Tisha said she believed professional disagreements should be handled through appropriate channels rather than taken to social media or the press in ways that could damage another artist’s reputation or career.

“False narratives on social media make us subject to criticism. For those of us who want to sustain ourselves through our work, that makes things difficult. When working in a particular place, differences of opinion and disputes with others can arise. But that does not mean I should immediately go to social media and reveal everything or inform journalists in a way that could damage someone’s career,” she said.

Referring to controversies surrounding her over the past year, including the recent sari-related controversy, she added: “I have seen a lot over the past year, including the sari controversy. Sooner or later, everything will come out in the open. I am just waiting for that day.”

Tisha also revisited the dispute that arose during the shooting of the drama ‘Putuler Biye’ in Manikganj in March. Referring to Othoi as a fellow artist, she said everyone present on the set had witnessed what happened.

“My character was that of a person with mental health difficulties. I played that character. Or did someone else play that character? You have seen it yourselves. Nothing was edited out. If you watch the scene, you will understand who improvised. You will also be able to judge the allegation of abuse,” she said.

Tisha said the association had spent considerable time hearing both sides of the dispute. She recalled that a five-hour arbitration meeting had been held, with senior members of the organisation serving as mediators.

“Our respected senior members were there as judges. We sat for almost five hours and discussed the entire incident. Everything was heard, including why and how it happened. I also have the written notice from that meeting,” she said.

Regarding the outcome, Tisha said both actresses had been asked to issue apologies and submit video statements.

“She did not submit the video, and I also could not submit it for some reason. I have now received a letter suspending my membership for not complying with the notice. Fine,” she said.

Tisha also spoke about the difficulties she had faced over the past eight months, insisting that she would not stop working or give up.

“Whatever obstacles have come my way over the past eight months, I have not stopped. I will not stop. I will not give up. I can say this with such confidence because I know I have done nothing wrong,” she said.

The disagreement dates back to March 3, when the actresses were shooting ‘Putuler Biye’, directed by Rafat Majumder, in Manikganj. That evening, Othoi went live on Facebook and accused Tisha of assaulting and humiliating her on set.

According to Othoi, a scene required her to slap Tisha lightly. She said she followed the director’s instructions, but Tisha subsequently slapped her several times with greater force, leaving her cheek and eye swollen and making it difficult for her to speak. Othoi also alleged that she had experienced personal disputes with Tisha before the incident.

Tisha denied the allegations, saying that everything that happened on set was part of the script and required by the characters. She said she had not acted out of personal hostility towards Othoi.

Director Rafat Majumder described the incident as a misunderstanding. According to him, the scene required both actresses to slap each other, and the situation may have escalated because one of the slaps landed harder than intended during filming.

After the accusations between the actresses spread on social media, the association issued a statement warning members against taking professional disputes to social media or the press without first informing the organisation.

The statement said presenting one-sided accounts of incidents online could damage the reputation of actors and that professional disagreements should be resolved through institutional procedures and the association’s organisational framework. It also warned that members who violated the code of conduct could face disciplinary action.

General secretary Rashed Mamun Apu said the association had made several attempts to settle the dispute, including holding meetings with both actresses and hearing their accounts.

He said the arbitration committee was independent and had been established to resolve conflicts among members. Following the incident, both actresses were called to a meeting, where they were asked to issue apologies and submit video statements explaining that the matter had been resolved. The association would then decide whether to publish the videos.

However, neither actress followed through on the proposal, Apu said. He added that the association sent them two letters but received no satisfactory responses. The letters were returned, and subsequent attempts to contact them by phone also went unanswered.

After a prolonged period, the arbitration committee recommended that the executive committee suspend their memberships. The recommendation was unanimously approved at an executive committee meeting, he said.

The suspension letters did not make a separate determination on whether the alleged assault on the shooting set had taken place. Instead, they cited the failure to respond to the show-cause notices and comply with the decisions made during the arbitration process as the basis for the action.

While Tisha has publicly responded to the decision, Othoi has yet to issue a fresh statement. It remains unclear whether either actress plans to appeal or how the dispute will be resolved.