Actress Azmeri Haque Badhon returned to Bangladesh on Monday morning after recently being assaulted and harassed while attending the Venice International Film Festival in Italy.

Badhon attended the Venice International Film Festival last week with the team of Rubaiyat Hossain’s film The Difficult Bride. The film had its world premiere at Sala Darsena on Sep 6.

She was assaulted and harassed after the premiere when she went out with family members.

Badhon arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on Monday, where she spoke to journalists about the incident and its aftermath.

“Those who carried out the attack are actually putting themselves in trouble. They thought they would get away with it," Badhon said in response to a question.

“It was not just verbal abuse from a distance, slogans or throwing water. They laid their hands on me. Their barbarity must stop; they are actually making their own place unsafe,” she said.

Badhon said the incident had also tarnished Bangladesh’s image abroad.

“My expatriate brothers behaved barbarically with me and attacked me in a very disgusting manner. Because of this, our country’s name was tarnished on foreign soil,” she said.

“Foreigners may think that we are constantly fighting among ourselves as a nation and that whoever goes somewhere is attacked. That is simply unacceptable,” she added.

Badhon alleged that she was targeted because of her active role in the July-August 2024 student-led mass movement, and identified the attackers as supporters of the Awami League and the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League, whose activities are currently banned.

Addressing supporters of the Awami League, she urged them not to blindly follow the party.

“You can love and support a party, but please do not become blind followers. If you are held accountable today, your family will suffer,” she said.

She also urged Awami League leaders to reconsider the political direction they were pursuing.

“Being a major political party, you are creating a blueprint for what kind of politics you will pursue. Please do not create one that will make you ashamed in the future,” Badhon said.

Regarding the support she received following the attack, Badhon said the director of the Venice Film Festival, the Italian government, the Bangladesh government and the Bangladesh Embassy in Italy had helped her.

However, she alleged that her own team had disowned her and barred her from participating in the remaining festival activities.

“They disowned me and prohibited me from joining them for the rest of the festival. Later, although I was supposed to attend the Toronto International Film Festival, they also barred me from going there,” she said.

Among her co-actors, she said, Sunerah, Zayneen and Zayneen’s mother had provided her with significant support.

Badhon also expressed gratitude to the Bangladesh government, the prime minister and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their support following the incident.

“Government officials contacted me on the night of the incident. The ambassador of Bangladesh in Italy was extremely supportive,” she said.

“The Italian government, the cultural minister, the undersecretary and the police department provided me with 24-hour protection every day. For security reasons, the director of the Venice Film Festival also arranged for me to stay at the Lido,” she added.

Badhon thanked people in Bangladesh and expatriate Bangladeshis for standing by her regardless of their political affiliations.

“Alhamdulillah, Allah does everything for the best. I will never forget the support I received from people across the country, including supporters of both the opposition and the government, regardless of their political ideology, as well as expatriate Bangladeshis,” she said.