United News of Bangladesh

A Dhaka court on Tuesday asked the government to conduct an investigation to determine whether there was any anti-state element in the mobile phone and laptop, owned by model Meghna Alam in a fraud and extortion case filed with Dhanmondi police station. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate MA Azharul Islam passed the order and asked the investigating officer of the case to submit a report after verifying the ownership of the MacBook, passport, mobile phone, and laptop seized at the time of arrest of the model. On June 22, a petition was filed to take custody of the Macbook, passport, mobile and laptop of Meghna, which were seized during her arrest. Later, Meghna’s counsel Mahsin Reza and Mahima Badhon filed another petition seeking to return the seized belongings of Meghna. Advocate Harun-or-Rashid stood for the state. Mehgna was present on the dock during the hearing. On April 28, a Dhaka court granted bail to model and chairperson of Miss Bangladesh Foundation Meghna Alam in the case. The court also placed Dewan Samir, an aide of the model, on a five-day remand after showing him arrested in the same case. According to the case statement, Megna and Samir along with two to three unidentified people were active members of a ‘fraud gang’. Model Meghna gets bail in fraud case Allegations have been brought against them that they were involved in alluring foreign diplomats and representatives stationed in Bangladesh, as well as wealthy local businessmen, into romantic affairs through attractive women. Once involved, they applied different tactics to tarnish their reputation in order to extort money through engaging them into illicit relationships and subsequently blackmailed using various deceptive methods. It is also mentioned that Samir, CEO of a business entity called Kawaii Group and the owner of a manpower company named Sanjana International, operated a business entity named MirAI International Event Management Ltd. He allegedly appointed various attractive and smart women as brand ambassadors of the company to facilitate easy access to foreign diplomats and wealthy businessmen. As part of a scheme to make his manpower and other businesses more profitable, Samir, with the help of his co-accused and driven by dishonest intentions, would target foreign diplomats and blackmail them. Using these women as intermediaries, he would extort large sums of money from the victims under threat of reputational harm. On April 9, DB picked up Meghna from her residence in Bashundhara residential area of Dhaka and later taken into custody the following day for 30 days, triggering criticism over the matter. Ahead of the arrest, Meghna in a Facebook live alleged that people posing them as police personnel were trying to enter her house breaking open its door. On April 13, the High Court issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why the arrest of model Meghna Alam should not be declared illegal.

Action against model Meghna Alam has been taken in accordance with the existing laws and no one has been subjected to unlawful treatment during the process, said Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant on Home Affairs Md Khoda Bakhsh Chowdhury on Tuesday. “All steps were taken under the framework of the law and there has been no deviation from legal procedures. This (Special Powers) Act is being used. It’s not like this law is not being used. It is not even that this is the only instance the law has been used. It’s not an illegal act,” he told reporters in reply to a question about the criticism surrounding Meghna Alam’s detention under the Special Powers Act. Why Meghna Alam’s arrest should not be declared illegal: HC Khoda Bakhsh was speaking after a meeting of the core committee on law and order at the Secretariat. "But if you ask why or what happened in this particular case—a certain incident happened, a complaint came, work is going on about this. The matter has gone to the High Court. Once it goes to the High Court, it becomes a sub judice matter. It’s not right to talk about sub judice matters. Let’s see what’s in there," he added. Khoda Bakhsh said action had been taken under the existing law without any illegal treatment, assured that they would respond to the High Court's inquiry, and added that everything would be provided in due time, though it was not appropriate to discuss the matter in advance. DB detains ex-Miss Earth Bangladesh Meghna Alam Meghna Alam, model and chairperson of Miss Bangladesh Foundation who also held the title of Miss Earth Bangladesh 2020, was taken into custody by the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) under the Special Powers Act on April 7. On April 10, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sefatullah sentenced Meghna to a 30-day jail in a case filed under Special Power Act. Meghna Alam’s arrest process was not appropriate: Asif Nazrul Later, she was sent to the Kashimpur Jail. Meanwhile, Meghna’s father filed a writ petition at the High Court challenging the lower court order.