For the past nine months since the July uprising, former Manikganj MP and folk singer Momtaz Begum had been hiding in Dhaka, frequently changing safehouses. Unable to cross borders like other party leaders due to an active arrest warrant from Berhampore Court, West Bengal in an embezzlement case related to an Indian musical event, she moved with extreme caution.
Detective Branch (DB) sources reveal Momtaz abandoned her luxury black Jeep and two Prados, dismissed drivers Joynal and Jamal, beautician Saleha, and personal staff Shojol and Jewel. She ventured out only at night and for urgent needs, donning a burqa to remain hidden.
Former Singair Upazila Vice-Chairman Anwara Khatun, once her close aide, had also disappeared earlier.
Multiple DB officials confirm Momtaz left her Bashundhara residence after the July uprising, first sheltering at a Lalmatia acquaintance’s home, then moving to Gulshan, before her final hideout in Dhanmondi. The outstanding warrant against her in Kolkata prevented her from attempting to escape the country into India.
Despite multiple raids by Manikganj-Dhaka DB and RAB since July, she remained elusive. During hiding, she maintained contact with Singair AL General Secretary VP Shahid until his recent court surrender rattled her. Police obtained crucial leads after arresting Shahid and tracking her ex-drivers.
“After months, we arrested her from behind Star Kabab in Dhanmondi at 11:30pm Monday,” confirmed DB Joint Commissioner Mohammad Nasirul Islam.
Police records show two major murder cases against Momtaz: One filed on October 10 naming her, 37 police personnel and 90 others. Another, in Singair, from October 23 last year implicating her, Dewan Zahid Ahmed and 109 AL leaders regarding a decade-old police shooting during a hartal protest.