Auto-rickshaw driver sues Bangladeshi film star for using his phone number in movie

One of Bangladesh's best-known film stars, Shakib Khan, is being sued by an auto-rickshaw driver for erroneously using his phone number in a movie. Ijajul Mia is seeking more than $60,000 (£45,000) from the actor as compensation.

Khan had reportedly used Mia's phone number in his movie named Rajniti, which was released in June. In the film, the actor is seen giving his on-screen girlfriend his number, that coincidentally belonged to the auto driver from Jatrapasha village. Since then, Mia has been inundated with calls, mostly from the actor's female fans.

He claimed that he had received at least 432 calls in a period of just five days from 10-15 July. "The use of my number... made my life completely miserable," Mia said, adding that the blunder almost ruined his marriage.

"I am a newly-married man with one daughter. When these calls started coming, my wife thought that I was having an affair," he explained.

Expressing his frustration, Mia told the AFP news agency, "Every day, I got hundreds of calls, mostly from female fans of Shakib Khan. They would say 'Hello Shakib, I am your fan. Do you have two minutes to talk to me?'"

He added that one fan of the actor even travelled 500km to see him, the BBC reported.

Mia said the trouble caused by Khan over the phone error has compelled him to think about changing his address and his mobile number, but added that if he does so, he would lose business from all his existing clients who have his current number.

Mia's lawyer, MA Majed, said that when they filed the law suit, the district judge was initially hesitant to hear it, but later he ordered an investigation after "we submitted evidence showing how these phone calls have almost destroyed the life of Ijajul".