Journalist Shaukat Mahmood taken into DB custody

“We are speaking with him,” says DB chief Shafiqul Islam.

The Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police has detained Shaukat Mahmood, the secretary general of the newly formed Janata Party Bangladesh.

Shaukat, also a former president of the National Press Club, was taken to the DB office from Malibagh on Sunday afternoon, according to the unit's chief Shafiqul Islam.

“We are speaking with him,” he said.

Asked about the charges against Shaukat, Shafiqul said: “There is a case against him. We are checking the details.”He said further details would be released later.

Shaukat was named secretary general of the newly formed Janata Party Bangladesh on Apr 25. Veteran film actor and road safety campaigner Ilias Kanchan is the party’s chairman.

He had previously served as a vice-chairman of the BNP, but was expelled by the party in March 2023 for breaching party discipline. Around that time, Shaukat had appeared as the member of the Insaf Committee, which was led by writer and political thinker Farhad Mazhar. The committee's proposals included the formation of a national government through a student-led mass uprising, drafting a new constitution and holding national elections under it.

Shafiqul said Shaukat was arrested in connection with the case filed against Bangladeshi-origin US citizen Enayet Karim Chowdhury over his involvement in a “conspiracy to topple” the interim government.

Police arrested Enayet from Minto Road at 10:30am on Sept 20. He was “suspiciously” moving in a car. He failed to produce satisfactory responses to questions asked by police during questioning. A case was filed against him.

Enayet migrated to the US in 1988 and became a citizen of the country in 2004. Police said he had come to Bangladesh on Sept 6 as an agent of a country to topple the interim government.