Dhaka, February 7, 2025: Bangladeshi actress and director Meher Afroz Shaon has been arrested at her residence in Dhaka, accused of conspiring against the state. The arrest took place in the Dhanmondi area and was confirmed by Rejaul Karim Mallik, an additional commissioner with the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch.
While authorities have not disclosed specific details of the charges, police claim the actress was involved in activities deemed a threat to national security. Her detention comes amid escalating political turmoil in Bangladesh, which has been in crisis since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India in August. The interim government has since struggled to maintain stability, facing mounting protests and unrest.
On Wednesday, Hasina delivered an online address urging her supporters to resist the interim administration, accusing it of seizing power unconstitutionally. Ahead of her speech, thousands of protesters gathered in Dhaka, where tensions escalated. In a violent demonstration aimed at disrupting her address, rioters set fire to the home of her father, Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh’s founding leader. The unrest continued following her speech, deepening the country’s political instability.
