A total of 27 women’s rights advocates have written to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus urging the immediate release of model Meghna Alam, who was detained under the Special Powers Act,1974, recently.
They raised serious questions about the circumstances of her arrest in the letter emailed to the chief adviser on Sunday.
The letter was signed by lawyers, rights activists, academics, researchers, artists, and other professionals.
They stated that the manner in which Meghna was arrested amounted to a violation of her fundamental human rights.
Demanding a clear explanation from the government, they questioned the legality and ethics of detaining her without a warrant, followed by a formal arrest; who authorized the operation; why around 30 officers were deployed to arrest one woman while insecurity persists across the country; on what grounds she was deemed a national security threat; whether legal procedures were properly followed; and what steps have been taken to ensure her safety in custody.
They called for a full investigation into the incident, Meghna Alam’s immediate release, and accountability for those responsible.
Meghna was detained from her home on April 9 without a warrant. Around 30 members of the police and intelligence agencies were involved in the operation. At the time, Meghna was live on Facebook. Upon locating her, several women’s rights activists arrived at the scene, the letter mentions.
Nearly 24 hours later, she was produced before a court. She was then sent to Kashimpur jail under the Special Powers Act on charges of posing a threat to national security, damaging diplomatic relations, and conspiring to cause economic harm.
Signatories of the memorandum include lawyers Ishrat Jahan and Tabassum Mehenaz; Jahangirnagar University professor Mirza Taslima Sultana; Dhaka University teacher Moshaheeda Sultana; anthropologist and filmmaker Nasrin Siraj; musician Farzana Wahid Sayan; photographer Padmini Chakma; and writer-researcher Parsa Sanjana, among others.
