Former Awami League MP Akhtaruzzaman Arrested in Dhaka

Detective Branch police arrested former Gazipur-5 lawmaker and former Dhaka University Central Students' Union vice president Akhtaruzzaman from a residence in Gulshan, alleging his involvement in the activities of a banned organisation.

Former Gazipur-5 Member of Parliament Akhtaruzzaman, a former Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) vice president and former Awami League organising secretary, has been arrested by the Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).

Police said Akhtaruzzaman, 73, was arrested during a raid at a residence in the capital's Gulshan area at around 10:00 pm on Wednesday, August 5. He was detained on allegations of involvement in the activities of a banned organisation.

Niaz Mehdi, Additional Deputy Commissioner of the DMP Media and Public Relations Division, said legal proceedings against the former lawmaker are underway.

According to sources in the DMP's Detective Branch, Akhtaruzzaman also faces multiple criminal cases, including murder charges. Police said the necessary legal process in those cases is continuing.

In a separate statement, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police said Akhtaruzzaman was arrested on Wednesday night over allegations of involvement in the activities of a banned organisation and noted that he is also accused in multiple cases, including murder.

Akhtaruzzaman previously served as an organising secretary of the Awami League. In Bangladesh's 12th parliamentary election held in 2024, he contested the Gazipur-5 constituency as an independent candidate after not receiving the Awami League nomination. He defeated the party's nominated candidate, Meher Afroz Chumki, to win the seat.

He also played a prominent role in student politics at Dhaka University. He was elected DUCSU General Secretary (GS) in both 1979 and 1980, when Mahmudur Rahman Manna served as DUCSU vice president. In 1981, Akhtaruzzaman was elected DUCSU Vice President (VP), while Ziauddin Bablu served as the union's general secretary.

Before representing Gazipur-5 (Kaliganj), Akhtaruzzaman was elected to Parliament from Gazipur-3 in 1996. He also served as chairman of the Gazipur Zila Parishad.