Dhaka [Bangladesh], February 7: Bangladeshi actress Meher Afroz Shaon has been detained by the Detective Branch (DB) of Bangladesh police for questioning, the police confirmed on Thursday. According to Additional Commissioner Rezaul Karim Mollick, Shaon was detained following the receipt of unspecified information, but no further details were provided.
When asked about the possibility of Shaon’s arrest, the official stated, “We have not taken any decision yet.” Shaon, a well-known actress, director, dancer, and playback singer, has been openly critical of Bangladesh’s interim government on social media. Her detention comes amid a wave of protests and vandalism in the country, including an attack on the residence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Dhaka.
Shaon, who won the Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for her performance in the film Krihnopokkho (2016), was also the wife of the late prominent writer and director Humayun Ahmed.
On Wednesday, a mob targeted Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s residence in Dhaka, setting fire to one of the floors. The protesters reportedly demanded a ban on the Awami League and stormed the premises, causing significant damage after breaking through the gate. Local media connected the protest to an online speech by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and social media posts had earlier called for a “Bulldozer Procession” towards Rahman’s residence if Hasina delivered a speech.
In a separate incident on Thursday evening, Shaon’s ancestral home in Jamalpur was set on fire by protesters near Narundi Railway Station in Jamalpur Sadar Upazila. The house belonged to her father, Engineer Mohammad Ali, who had previously sought an Awami League nomination. Her mother, Begum Tahura Ali, also served as an MP from the reserved women’s seat between 1996-2001 and again from 2009-2014.