International
oi-Prakash KL
Actress
Meghna
Alam
has
been
arrested
by
the
Bangladeshi
authorities
after
allegedly
having
an
affair
with
a
diplomat
from
Saudi
Arabia.
She
was
arrested
on
April
9
under
Bangladesh’s
Special
Powers
Act
for
allegedly
“spreading
misinformation” about
a
foreign
diplomat-reportedly
a
Saudi
Arabian
ambassador-which
authorities
claim
could
harm
Bangladesh’s
diplomatic
relations.
Alam
Why
Was
She
Arrested?
Alam
was
arrested
on
April
9
under
Bangladesh’s
Special
Powers
Act
for
allegedly
“spreading
misinformation”
about
a
foreign
diplomat-reportedly
a
Saudi
Arabian
ambassador-which
authorities
claim
could
harm
Bangladesh’s
diplomatic
relations.
According
to
The
Daily
Star,
she
was
being
silenced
by
him
through
the
Bangladeshi
authorities.
Before
her
arrest,
Alam
made
several
Facebook
posts
detailing
the
alleged
affair,
though
these
have
since
been
deleted.
Her
father,
Badrul
Alam,
confirmed
her
claims,
stating:
“The
ambassador
and
Meghna
were
in
a
relationship,
and
my
daughter
refused
his
marriage
proposal
because
he
already
has
a
wife
and
children.”
He
also
alleged
that
the
diplomat
contacted
Bangladesh’s
Home
Ministry,
leading
to
her
arrest.
He
told
The
Daily
Star:
“I
have
heard
that
the
diplomat
contacted
the
home
ministry.
On
Thursday
night,
the
Detective
Branch
told
me
that
the
home
ministry
instructed
law
enforcers
to
take
action
under
the
Special
Powers
Act.”
What
Is
the
Special
Powers
Act?
Under
Section
3(2)
of
the
law,
authorities
can
detain
individuals
if
their
actions:
-
Threaten
national
security,
public
safety,
or
public
order -
Incite
hatred
between
communities -
Disrupt
law
enforcement
or
essential
services -
Spread
fear
or
alarm -
Harm
the
country’s
economic
or
financial
interests
How
Did
the
Arrest
Happen?
Alam
was
taken
into
custody
after
a
live-streamed
video
showed
people-allegedly
police
officers-entering
her
Dhaka
home.
In
the
12-minute
video,
she
pleaded
with
them,
saying
she
would
comply.
The
stream
cut
off
abruptly,
and
her
posts
about
the
diplomat
were
later
removed.
For
nearly
24
hours,
authorities
did
not
confirm
her
detention,
raising
fears
of
an
abduction.
She
was
later
sent
to
Kashimpur
Central
Jail
under
a
30-day
detention
order.
Who
Is
Meghna
Alam?
She
is
a
prominent
Bangladeshi
model,
actress,
and
social
activist,
best
known
for
being
crowned
Miss
Earth
Bangladesh
2020.
She
is
the
president
of
the
Miss
Bangladesh
Foundation
and
the
National
Director
of
the
Miss
Bangladesh
Organization.
A
passionate
advocate
for
climate
change,
gender
equality,
and
food
security,
Alam
has
been
involved
in
activism
since
the
age
of
12.
