The former Awami League lawmaker from Noakhali-6, Mohammad Ali, was detained by Navy personnel early Sunday, following demands for his arrest in the last few days.
He was picked up from his residence at Ochkhali of Hatia around 3am, Navy’s Contingent Commander Mushfiqur Rahman said.
The Navy team also took into custody the former MP’s wife Ayesha Ferdaus and their son Ashiq Ali Ami, chairman of Hatia Upazila Parishad. The officials detained them for the sake of safety, Mohammad Ali's brother former upazila chairman Mahbub Morshed Liton said.
On Friday evening, Hatia Upazila BNP and its affiliated organizations held a protest march demanding the arrest of Mohammad Ali. Apart from this, Abdul Hannan Masud, one of the coordinators of the students’ movement, also highlighted Muhammad Ali's various irregularities on different occasions.
Critics say Mohammad Ali had been a fearsome name for the people of the opposition in his constituency for the last 15 years. By using the name of the Awami League, he resorted to irregularities and anarchy in the area.
Navy Commander Mushfiqur Rahman said: "Muhammad Ali has been detained to maintain law and order and overall peace. He is being interrogated. He will be shown arrested and sent to Chittagong due to the lack of activities of the Hatia police station. However, we did not detain his wife and son.”