HC points legality of Meghna Alam’s detention

Staff Reporter :

The High Court (HC) on Sunday issued a rule asking authorities to explain within two weeks why the 30-day detention of model and Miss Earth Bangladesh 2020 winner Meghna Alam under the Special Powers Act should not be declared illegal.

The order came from a division bench comprising Justice Razik-Al-Jalil and Justice Tamanna Rahman Khalidi after hearing a writ petition filed by Meghna’s father. Barrister Sara Hossain argued the case on behalf of the petitioner.

Meghna Alam was arrested from her flat in the Bashundhara Residential Area on April 9, following a Dhaka court order issued a day earlier granting a 30-day detention under the Special Powers Act, based on a request from the Detective Branch (DB) of police.

Ahead of her arrest, Meghna appeared in a Facebook Live video, alleging that individuals identifying themselves as police were attempting to break into her home.
The livestream, which lasted over 12 minutes, ended abruptly and was later deleted though widely circulated online.

“We believe she was detained on vague grounds,” said one of her lawyers, Kazi Zahed Iqbal. “If there were specific allegations, legal action could have been taken through due process. Invoking the Special Powers Act in this case is unjustified.”

The legality of her detention now rests with the High Court, as public attention around the case continues to grow.