Dhaka: The Dhaka police on April 9 arrested, Former Miss Earth Bangladesh and actress Meghna Alam under the Special Powers Act for allegedly posing a "threat to public safety, law, and order." Alam was arrested soon after she claimed that she had an affair with a married Saudi Arabian diplomat who was now trying to silence her with the help of law enforcement agencies.
Before her arrest, 30-year-old Alam in a Facebook live stream alleged that the DB police, which is the specialised Detective Branch of Bangladesh police, broke into her house in Dhaka to arrest her on the night of April 9.
During the 12-minute video, Alam pleaded with the officers, assuring them she would co-operate with the investigation. She was subsequently taken into custody and sent to Kashimpur jail after a Dhaka court ordered 30-day detention.
In a now-deleted Facebook post, Alam had alleged that "the Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh, Essa Yousef, is taking up people by police, fearmongering that I should not post the truth on social media."
Who is Meghna Alam?
Meghna Alam is a Bangladeshi model, actress, and environmentalist who gained prominence after winning the title of Miss Earth Bangladesh 2020. Alam also a mindful leadership trainer and chairperson of the Miss Bangladesh Foundation, which focuses on societal welfare. Alam also serves as the National Director of the Miss Bangladesh Organization, which chooses the Bangladeshi representatives for Miss Earth.
Alam has been involved in social activism since the age of 12, addressing issues like gender dynamics, climate change, and food security.
Local media reports claimed that Alam is accused of attempting to extort $5 million from Essa Yousef, former Saudi ambassador to Bangladesh.
Accepting that Alam's arrest was not right, government advisor Asif Nazrul said on April 13, "There are some allegations against her, but the arrest under the Special Powers Act was not carried out properly," he told interacting with the media.
