Meghna Alam, model and chairperson of Miss Bangladesh Foundation who also held the title of Miss Earth Bangladesh 2020, has been taken into custody by the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) under the Special Powers Act.
She was picked up on Wednesday and placed under protective custody for 30 days on Thursday, said DMP’s Deputy Commissioner (Media) Talebur Rahman on Friday.
“Meghna Alam has been kept in protective custody following all legal procedures on charges of being involved in a conspiracy to endanger state security, to attempt to deteriorate inter-state relations by spreading falsehoods about important persons, and to economically harm the country. The allegation that she has been abducted is not correct. Nevertheless, she has the right to seek legal support,” the DC said.
As of Friday afternoon, no case was filed to formally show she was arrested.
Earlier, DB chief and Additional Commissioner of DMP Rezaul Karim Mallick told the media on Thursday night that she had been taken to the DB office for questioning.
DC Media Talebur Rahman reiterated the same on Friday, confirming that Meghna was taken to DB for questioning.
Although she has not been shown to be arrested in any case, she is now in jail under a 30-day protective custody provision as per the Special Powers Act, authorities said.
On Thursday night at around 10:30pm, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Sefat Ullah passed the order in response to an application from DB police. Chief Public Prosecutor of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court Omar Faruk Faruki confirmed the matter.
He said the court ordered her detention under Section 3(1) of the Special Powers Act, 1974, granting the state authority to detain individuals in the interest of public safety and law and order, as defined in Section 2(f) of the same Act.
Meghna Alam was later transferred to Kashimpur Jail.
TH
.png "Halim-&-Firni")
