DHAKA: Popular Bangladeshi actor Ferdous Ahmed, who was expelled by the Indian government, has apologised for campaigning for a candidate in West Bengal, terming it as an "inadvertent mistake" and a step taken out of love of the people of the state.
The Indian government on Tuesday issued a 'Leave India' notice to Ahmed and cancelled the business visa given to him for allegedly campaigning for a Trinamool Congress candidate in the state.
The actor has also been "blacklisted" by the Union Home Ministry, jeopardising the chances of his future travel to India. "I apologise for my inadvertent mistake. I hope everyone will forgive me," he was quoted as saying by bdnews24 news portal.
Ferdous said he understood that it was a 'mistake' to take part in election campaign of another country, he said in his statement to the news website on Wednesday after returning home the previous night.
He said he had been 'driven by emotion from the love of the people of West Bengal' when he had joined the campaign along with his Indian co-actors. Ahmed, along with a few Indian actors, allegedly took part in campaigning for TMC's Raiganj candidae Kahaiyalal Agarwal.
The Bangladeshi film star was reportedly seen seeking votes for Aarwal at campaign rallies across Hemtabad and Karandighi near the Indo-Bangladesh border. Ahmed won Bangladesh National Film Award for best actor four times for his roles in the films Hothat Brishti (1998), Gangajatra (2009), Kusum Kusum Prem (2011), Ek Cup Cha (2014).
Another Bangladeshi actor Ghazi Abdul Noor was on Thursday asked to leave India immediately after he attended a political rally in West Bengal. "Appropriate action is also being taken regarding his overstay in contravention of visa rules," a home ministry official said.