Dhaka: Bangladesh police on Tuesday arrested former deputy prime minister Mohammed Ali Arafat, who is accused in several cases including the killing of a student during anti-government protests, on charges of broadcasting information.
Police said they arrested Arafat in the capital’s upscale Gulshan district and were preparing to take him to court with a petition seeking his detention.
His arrest comes amid speculation that he may have left the country during or after the massive student uprising on August 5 that toppled the Awami League government, as he was active on social media but other ministers and party leaders had not been seen in public.
Two weeks ago, the Bangladesh Bank Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) ordered banks to freeze the accounts of Arafat and his wife.
Arafat’s arrest came a day after Hasanul Haq Inu, chairman of the left-leaning Association of Islamic Dealers of Occupational and Democratic Party of Pakistan (JASOD), was detained at a relative’s house in Dhaka and police sought a 10-day detention order for questioning on murder charges.
JASOD was one of the main allies of the previous government, including the Workers’ Party of Rashid Khan Menon, who was also arrested in the case and given five days’ police custody by a Dhaka court.
Former Law Minister Anisul Haq and former private sector affairs adviser to the prime minister, businessman Salman F. Rahman, were the first to be arrested in the Sadarghat terminal area, Dhaka’s main river port, for allegedly trying to leave Dhaka in a boat in disguise.
Since then, several ministers and leaders have been arrested, including former Social Welfare Minister Dipu Moni, Undersecretary for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak, and recently sacked army and navy majors.
The paramilitary Border Guard of Bangladesh (BGB) said late on Friday it had detained former Supreme Court judge Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik as he was trying to leave the country through the northeastern state of Sylhet on the border with India.
Many of those arrested were assaulted by mobs and lawyers opposed to Sheikh Hasina’s government when they appeared in court despite a heavy security escort. Manik, a vocal defender of the former government, was seriously injured and is currently undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit of a government hospital in Sylhet.
Among those arrested were television journalist couple Farzana Rupa and her husband Shakil Ahmed, who have also been charged with murder.
Dozens of cases have been filed in court on charges ranging from genocide to money laundering, with cases being brought against Hasina and most of those arrested so far.
Immediately after resigning, Prime Minister Hasina fled the country in a military helicopter and was evacuated to India.
The Bangladesh army had earlier said hundreds of Awami League leaders had taken refuge in its military camps due to fears for their lives, but did not give names.
Published on 27 August 2024 at 16:46 IST
