Immigration police at the Benapole checkpoint in Jessore arrested Azam Shahabuddin, general secretary of the Awami League’s Gopalganj district unit, while he was attempting to travel to India on Tuesday, around 11am.
Although Azam’s wife was accompanying him, she was released as there were no charges against her.
Azam Shahabuddin is the son of the late Moin Uddin of Binapani Girls School Road in Gopalganj Sadar police station area.
According to immigration sources, Azam submitted his passport at the desk while preparing to depart for India on Tuesday morning.
Immigration police detained him for questioning upon discovering his name on a stop list. He was later shown arrested by Benapole Immigration police due to two separate cases filed against him with Gopalganj and Dhaka’s Jatrabari police stations.
He was subsequently handed over to Benapole Port police station.
Azam is accused in several cases, including one related to an attack on army personnel, vandalism, and arson in Gopalganj Sadar.
Benapole Immigration’s Officer-in-Charge (OC) Elias Hossain Munshi stated that immigration officials had been alerted about the possibility of Azam Shahabuddin attempting to travel to India.
Accordingly, all officers at the exit point were on alert. Around 11am, Azam entered the immigration building and submitted his passport at the desk for an exit seal. After his name appeared on the online stop list and he aroused suspicion during questioning, he was placed under arrest.
Benapole Port police station’s Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Russel Mia said: “The Awami League leader detained at immigration has been handed over to us. Since there are cases against him with both Gopalganj and Dhaka’s Jatrabari police stations, he will be transferred to Gopalganj police.”
