Bangladesh police detained model and actress Meghna Alam under the Special Powers Act on grounds of threats to public security and diplomatic relations—particularly with Saudi Arabia. Alam, who was crowned Miss Earth Bangladesh in 2020, reportedly accused a Saudi diplomat of having an affair with her. Authorities have detained her for 30 days at Kashimpur jail. Her family and human rights groups, however, have denounced the arrest as politically motivated and unjust.
Who is Meghna Alam?
Meghna Alam is a prominent Bangladeshi model, actress, and the 2020 Miss Earth Bangladesh titleholder. She also serves as the president of the Miss Bangladesh Foundation. Police took her into custody on April 9 in Dhaka and charged her under the Special Powers Act of 1974. This controversial law allows authorities to detain individuals indefinitely without trial if their actions are deemed harmful to national security, public order, or international relations.
What led to her arrest?
Police said Meghna Alam falsely accused senior foreign nationals, including reportedly diplomats, of misconduct. As AFP reported, police spokesman Muhammad Talebur Rahman confirmed that diplomats were among the accused. In a Facebook post, Alam said she had a romantic relationship with a married Saudi diplomat and accused him of using state authorities to silence her.
Her father, Badrul, supported her story. He revealed that the diplomat had offered her his hand in marriage. Nonetheless, after Alam phoned the diplomat’s wife, she ended the relationship. Badrul also claimed the diplomat phoned Bangladesh’s Home Ministry, who then instructed police to arrest her.
Arrest caught live on Facebook
As her arrest was under way, Meghna Alam started a Facebook live stream. She informed observers that armed men, claiming to be police officers, had sealed off her building. During the 12-minute broadcast, she begged them to depart and asked to go down to the station voluntarily. During the video, the men invaded her apartment and took her telephone just before it cut off without warning. A short while later, Facebook shut down the video and her supporting posts.
At the same time, police arrested a man named Sameer in relation to the case. He was accused of blackmailing a foreign diplomat by authorities.
Legal and human rights reactions
Legal analyst Asif Nazrul, who advises the Ministry of Law, harshly condemned the arrest. He admitted that the Home Ministry had sanctioned the detention and verified that senior officials did have a meeting on the matter. While he fell short of calling for the law to be repealed, he stressed the imperative need to avert its abuse.
Amnesty International South Asia also released a biting criticism. The organization deemed the Special Powers Act “draconian” and claimed it goes contrary to international human rights standards. Amnesty called upon the government to either charge Alam formally or release her immediately.
Rising outcry and global scrutiny
The arrest of Meghna Alam has elicited heated public discourse and attracted international condemnation. Some perceive that the Bangladeshi government used outdated and oppressive law to muzzle a citizen and safeguard diplomatic relations. As the probe continues, global and domestic opinion remains on the rise pressurizing the authorities to uphold due process and respect basic human rights.
