Model Meghna now shown arrested in fraud case

On Apr 10, a court had previously ordered her detained for 30 days under the Special Powers Act

A court has shown model Meghna Alam arrested on allegations of committing fraud by attempting to lure a foreign envoy into a romantic relationship.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Masum Mia made the decision after a hearing on Thursday.

Sub Inspector Abul Bashar, Dhanmondi Police Station general registration officer, said at the court that an investigating officer had petitioned for Meghna to be arrested in a fraud case at Dhanmondi Police Station. Public Prosecutor Omar Faruq Faruqi represented the state at the hearing.

Meghna was detained from a house in Dhaka’s Bashundhara Residential Area on Apr 9.

Shortly before her arrest, she went live on Facebook, claiming that “people identifying themselves as police” were attempting to break into her home. The livestream, which lasted over 12 minutes, was cut off shortly after she was detained and was later deleted from her account, though clips had already spread on social media by then.

Later, the former Miss Earth Bangladesh was presented before a Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate's Court by the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police. Metropolitan Magistrate Md Sefat Ullah ordered that she be held in custody for 30 days under the Special Powers Act, following a petition by the DB.

Amid mounting criticism of her detention, DB chief Additional Commissioner Rezaul Karim Mallick was removed from his post.