Detectives have arrested dismissed Lt Col Md Afzal Naser Bhuiyan in Dhaka’s Mirpur area during a raid early Monday.
The Detective Branch of Police has not yet disclosed the reason for the arrest.
The development came following a controversy emerged over his role in special operations carried out by the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) during the army‑backed caretaker government. His name was linked to incidents involving interrogations, torture, intimidation, and extortion.
Lt Col Afzal was dismissed on 5 November 2009. He joined the army on 4 July 1984. His home is in Noakhali’s Senbagh.
He is also accused of a murder case. The case is currently under investigation by the Detective Branch (DB) police.
During student‑led protest, Bahadur Hossain Monir was shot dead on 19 July 2024 at Bashhtola in Shahjadpur of Dhaka. Following the incident, on 30 September same year, a murder case was filed at Gulshan Police Station against Afzal and United Group’s chief adviser Hasan Mahmud Raja; chairman and managing director Moinuddin Hasan Rashid.
He was an administrative officer at United Group. In April 2024, when former prime minister Khaleda Zia fell ill, United Hospital was asked to provide assistance. He allegedly refused, saying he would not provide treatment.
Afzal served in DGFI’s Anti‑Terrorism Unit during the “One‑Eleven” period, under the command of Brigadier General ATM Amin. Under Amin’s leadership, Afzal was involved in arrests, torture, and other abuses.
BNP’s then acting chairman Tarique Rahman and several senior leaders were subjected to physical and mental torture during One‑Eleven, and Lt Col Afzal’s name repeatedly surfaced in accounts of those incidents.
He was accused of harassing BNP vice‑chairman Abdul Awal Mintoo and forcibly recording video footage of him. Afzal also filmed the viral video of former state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar, and was implicated in the torture of businessman Mosaddek Ali Falu.
