Bangladeshi model and actress Meghna Alam was arrested by Dhaka Police on April 9 under the Special Powers Act for allegedly posing a “threat to public safety, law, and order”. Her arrest came shortly after Alam claimed she had had an affair with a married diplomat who was now trying to silence her with the help of law enforcement agencies, reported the Daily Star.
Meghna Alam is a well-known actress in Bangladesh and the former winner of the Miss Earth Bangladesh beauty pageant of 2020. She is also the chairperson of the Miss Bangladesh Foundation. Her arrest has caused a stir in the country, raising concerns about misuse of power.
Meghna Alam’s allegations
According to the Daily Star, before her arrest, Alam shared several Facebook posts claiming that a foreign diplomat was trying to silence her. She said that the diplomat – a married man – had an affair with her. Her Facebook posts have since been deleted.
Badrul Alam, the model’s father, also backed her claims of being in a relationship with a diplomat. According to Dawn, he said that she was in a relationship with the then Saudi ambassador to Dhaka. “The ambassador and Meghna were in a relationship, and my daughter refused his marriage proposal because he already has a wife and children,” he said.
Alam also appeared in a Facebook live video on Wednesday evening, where she said that people claiming to be with the police were knocking on her door. The people apparently broke into her home and took her into custody.
In the 12-minute livestream, which cut off abruptly, Meghna was seen pleading with the people and assuring them of her cooperation. This video was also deleted later.
Arrest and aftermath
The Facebook livestream led to fear that the Bangladeshi model had been kidnapped. These rumours were fueled by the fact that authorities did not acknowledge her detention for 24 hours.
According to Business Standard, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police later confirmed they had Alam in custody on “charges of hampering diplomatic relationships and threatening to cause economic loss to the country by spreading lies.”
The police claimed that all legal processes had been followed. Alam was arrested under the Special Powers Act and transferred to Kashimpur Central Jail.
However, on Sunday, Asif Nazrul, adviser to the Bangladesh Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, said that proper procedures were not followed in her arrest.
“There are some allegations against her; however, the arrest under the Special Powers Act was not carried out properly,” he said during a press briefing, as reported by Dawn.
