Suspended Dewanganj mayor Shahnewaz Shahan Shah was detained by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in Dhaka on Thursday for allegedly assaulting a government official during a programme on Victory Day.

A RAB team conducted a drive at Hotel De Meridian in Dhaka’s Uttara area and detained Shahnewaz this morning, ASP Imran Khan, assistant director (legal and media wing) at RAB HQ, told UNB.

During the drive, RAB men seized drugs including Yaba, marijuana, and cash Tk 3 lakh from his possession, director of the Legal and Media Wing of RAB Commander Khandaker Al Moin said at a press briefing after the detention.

Shahnewaz used to  intake drugs, he said.

Read: Assaulting education officer: Dewanganj municipality mayor suspended

Replying to a question Commander Khandaker al-Moin said Shahnewaz might have assaulted the education officer out of the effect of drugs.

Shahnewaz got agitated and insulted the education officer over trivial reason like offering flowers, he added.

There are already five cases against him which were filed for various crimes including police assault.

About the hiding of the suspended mayor, the Rab official said he was trying to meet with senior leaders of his party but he did not get cooperation from anyone. “He went into hiding to keep himself safe.”

Read: Dewanganj mayor expelled from AL in Jamalpur

On December 21, Shahnewaz was suspended for allegedly abusing and slapping the secondary education officer in Jamalpur district on Victory Day.

The same day Shahnewaz was also expelled from the local unit of the ruling Awami League over the assault.

On December 16, Shahnewaz physically assaulted education officer Md Meher Ullah at a Victory Day programme in the upazila.

Md Meher was conducting the programme at Dewanganj Government High School premises. He was calling the names of the officials inviting them to place wreaths in serial.

As the mayor was the eighth on the list, he got angry and started abusing Meher verbally. When the officer protested, the mayor allegedly slapped him.

A case was filed against Shahnewaz in this connection on that day.