Former BNP leader Tanbir Ahmed Siddiky's son Irad arrested

BNP leader Tanbir Ahmed Siddiky's son Irad has been arrested by police's counter-terrorism unit.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 23 Feb 2017, 09:18 AM
Updated : 24 Feb 2017, 04:30 AM

A spokesperson for the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) said the arrest was made early on Thursday.

"Irad Ahmed Siddiky has been arrested around 5am from near the Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka," DMP Deputy Commissioner Masudur Rahman told bdnews24.com.

He stands accused in several cases under the ICT Act for incitement to kill Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina through social media posts. Warrants were out for him in some of those cases.

The police, however, are yet to say on which charges he has been arrested.

Irad had made news headlines ahead the 2012 Dhaka City Corporation polls, the voting for which was not held later, when he claimed that BNP chief Khaleda Zia had sought Tk 5 million from him for the party's Mayor ticket.

His father, who was then a member of the party's policymaking National Standing Committee, was expelled following the statement.

BNP leaders say that the father and son have no relations with the party now.

A Facebook post last year from a page under Irad's name had threatened to murder Hasina.

Posts from the same Facebook ID earlier contained materials defaming Bangladesh's founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Following the social media posts, cases were filed against Irad in several courts across the country.

According to media reports, citing family members, Irad was then living in the US.