Legal experts and various rights groups called for the repeal of the Special Powers Act following the detention of model and Miss Bangladesh Foundation Chairperson Meghna Alam.

The Gonotantrik Odhikar Committee yesterday strongly condemned the detention of Meghna under the Act, calling it a fascist and authoritarian move.

The group demanded her immediate release and urged the government to scrap the 50-year-old law.

In a statement issued yesterday, the organisation's member Prof Anu Muhammad said no repressive law, including the Special Powers Act, should exist in the post-uprising Bangladesh.

Meghna's detention saga unfolded when she went live on her Facebook page on Wednesday, saying that individuals identifying themselves as law enforcers from Bhatara Police Station were trying to break into her flat without a warrant.

A visibly distressed Meghna is heard in the video requesting the men "carrying firearms" to leave and telling them that she would go to the police station.

The 12-minute footage shows the individuals breaking into her flat and forcibly taking her phone. The video and some of her previous posts were removed from her profile soon afterwards.

However, the footage was downloaded by social media users who posted it again.

An officer from Bhatara Police Station, requesting anonymity, said officers took her to the Detective Branch (DB) office on Minto Road after detaining her. A Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court in Dhaka sent her to jail on Thursday night.

Amid criticism on social media, Dhaka Metropolitan Police issued a statement on Friday, refuting allegations that she had been abducted.

The statement said Meghna was held in accordance with the law, but made no mention of the time of her detention.

The statement added that she was accused of trying to deteriorate the relations between countries by spreading lies about an important person, hampering national security and being involved in a conspiracy to damage the economy.  

Police also arrested an associate of Meghna on charges of blackmailing a foreign diplomat.

The  Gonotantrik Odhikar Committee said that the stated reasons for Meghna's arrest were "vague and misleading".

"If a citizen is targeted using state forces because of a foreign diplomat's personal agenda, it undermines the sovereignty of the country," the group said.

The rights body described this as an "alarming abuse of power", adding that using state forces in this way reflected an "ongoing pattern of authoritarian control" over the justice system, even after an uprising.

The platform said that the Special Powers Act is a fascist law which several advisers of the current government have spoken about at various times. However, this law is being used to cover up the "wrongdoing" of a foreign diplomat and to "legitimise his action by attacking a woman at her home".

It also urged the government to investigate the role of the foreign diplomat involved and take appropriate diplomatic steps if allegations of misconduct are proven.

Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua, speaking to The Daily Star, said, "They violated the procedure of arrest. The High Court has given clear directives on the steps that should be followed when arresting without a warrant."

According to the HC directives, arrests without a warrant must be based on credible information, officers must disclose their identity and record reasons for the arrest, and the arrested person must be allowed to consult a lawyer or meet their relatives.

"Meghna was arrested on a prejudicial suspicion under Section 3 of the special powers law. Yet her actions do not fall under the definition of a 'prejudicial act' as stated by that very law," said Barua.

A "prejudicial act" as defined by the law refers to any action intended or likely to harm Bangladesh's sovereignty, security, public order, or international relations. It also includes acts that incite hatred, disrupt law and order, essential services, or the economy, or cause public fear or alarm.

"This was a personal matter, and they have violated her fundamental rights under article 43 of the constitution which states that every person has the right to be secured in their home against entry, search and seizure," said Barua.

Manabadhikar Shongskriti Foundation demanded the repeal of the law and the release of the model. "The law enforcement kept her in detention for two days, and then produced her at court at night. We strongly criticise the arrest and incarceration of this woman when there are no specific cases or charges against her," it said in a statement.

Another civic platform, Janovassyo, also demanded the repeal of repressive laws like the Special Powers Act of 1974. In a statement yesterday, the platform said that Meghna's detention has severely undermined public trust in state institutions

The harassment she faced, along with the attempt to malign her character with false claims about her personal life, is unacceptable, the statement said.

They called it a resurgence of fascist tactics and demanded a high-level, impartial, and swift investigation into the incident and strict punishment for all those found guilty. "Meghna must be released immediately and her safety ensured."

'ASSOCIATE' HELD

Detectives have arrested Dewan Samir, 58, owner of the manpower agency Sanjana and CEO of Japanese cosmetics e-shop Kawaii, on charges of blackmailing a Saudi diplomat using women.

Samir was produced before a Dhaka court yesterday, where police sought a 10-day remand for further interrogation. The court granted a five-day remand.

Earlier, DB chief Rezaul Karim Mallik told this correspondent that Samir is an associate of Meghna.

According to the forwarding letter submitted to the court, Ariful Islam, a sub-inspector of Bhatara Police Station, said that a fraud syndicate, allegedly led by Samir, has been using attractive women to lure diplomats and affluent individuals into romantic relationships for extortion.

"Since January 2024, the group had been targeting the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Bangladesh, Essa Bin Yousef Alduhailan. They trapped him in a personal relationship and subsequently demanded five million dollars," the forwarding letter said.

Acting on a tip-off, a team from the Detective Branch raided a flat in Bashundhara Residential Area around 10:25pm on Thursday and arrested Samir.

Police claimed that on April 8, around 1:30pm, Samir and his cohorts attempted to extort money at his residence.

"This was part of a larger conspiracy against the state aimed at tarnishing Bangladesh's image abroad," it said. Police said that it has also been learned that the accused and his associates may possess critical anti-state information.

Talking to The Daily Star on Friday night, Meghna's father Badrul Alam said his daughter has been involved with Miss Bangladesh Foundation since 2020, focusing on empowering women and representing them on global platforms.

He claimed that during her work, she developed a close relationship with the Saudi diplomat, which allegedly led to their engagement a few months ago.

But she recently learned that the man already had a wife, Badrul claimed, adding that Meghna contacted the diplomat's wife and ended the engagement.

Angered, the diplomat reportedly raised concerns with the home ministry, claiming the situation could harm diplomatic relations, Badrul said.

Badrul also said they believed the matter was on the way to being resolved, as they had held meetings with high-ranking law enforcement officials.