Another actor Sohana Saba detained after Shaon’s arrest

The Detective Branch has taken her into custody

Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch, or DB, has taken actress and model Sohana Saba into custody from Dhaka’s Dhanmondi.

On Thursday night, DB detained and took her to their office, DMP spokesperson Muhammad Talebur Rahman confirmed in a statement.

However, he did not disclose any specific charges against her.

Earlier that evening, around 8pm, DB confirmed the arrest of actress, singer, and filmmaker Meher Afroz Shaon in Dhanmondi.

Just hours later, they announced Saba had also been taken into custody.

Sohana Saba began her career as a dancer and is now widely known as an actress.

She made headlines last year for supporting the ruling Awami League’s crackdown on the Anti-discrimination Student Movement that began in July.

During the protests, Saba and several other artists were allegedly active in a WhatsApp group named “Alo Ashbei”, or light will come, where they reportedly opposed the movement.

About a month after the movement led to the government’s downfall, on Sept 3, screenshots of messages from that WhatsApp group surfaced on social media, sparking widespread criticism against Saba.

DB’s announcement of Shaon and Saba’s detentions came a day after the demolition of Dhanmondi’s Road No. 32 house, amid nationwide attacks on independence leader Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s sculptures and arson attacks on the homes of Awami League leaders.