Mohammad Khoda Bakhsh Chowdhury, Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor, has stated that action against model and former ‘Miss Earth Bangladesh’ Meghna Alam was taken under existing laws. He also asserted that her detention does not constitute any illegal move.
Speaking to reporters at the Secretariat on Tuesday (April 15) following a meeting of the Core Committee on Law and Order, Chowdhury addressed concerns regarding Meghna’s arrest under the Special Powers Act.
Responding to a question about the use of the Special Powers Act in Meghna’s case, he said, “It’s not as if it was applied only in this single case. There is nothing illegal about it.”
He added, “There is a complaint against Meghna, and it is under investigation. Since the matter is now before the High Court, it is sub-judice, and it wouldn’t be appropriate to comment further.”
The Special Assistant reiterated that action was taken in accordance with the law, stating, “There has been no illegal conduct here. The matter is in court, and we will respond accordingly. You will have all the information in due time. It is not proper to discuss it in advance.”
Earlier, Law Adviser Asif Nazrul had commented to the media that Meghna’s arrest process was flawed. When asked about this, Khoda Bakhsh responded, “You should ask him. I don’t know the context in which he made the remark. He didn’t tell us why he said that.”
He was accompanied by Home Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury.
On Sunday (April 13), Meghna’s father filed a writ petition in the High Court challenging the legality of her detention under the Special Powers Act.
Meghna was detained by the Detective Branch (DB) of police from her residence in Dhaka’s Bashundhara residential area on the night of April 10. Prior to her arrest, she appeared in a Facebook Live video, claiming that individuals identifying themselves as police were attempting to break into her home. The live stream, which lasted over 12 minutes, abruptly ended and was later deleted from her account, though it had already spread widely on social media.
The following night, DB police presented her before the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court, which ordered her to be held for 30 days under Section 3(1) of the Special Powers Act.
DB has accused Meghna of endangering state security, spreading misinformation to harm international relations, and conspiring to damage the national economy.
Her arrest and one-month detention in Kashimpur Central Jail have sparked outrage on social media and strong reactions from human rights groups and civil society.