Miss Earth Bangladesh, Meghna Alam, has been detained under the Special Powers Act of 1974 and sent to prison for 30 days.
On Thursday night, she was presented before a Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate, who approved the detention order. According to court sources, she was produced before court around 10:30 PM, and was consequently sent to jail under Section 3(1) of the act for engaging in activities deemed harmful to public order and state security. She has since been transferred to Kashimpur Prison.
Earlier, a controversy arose following Meghna Alam's claim on social media that the 'Saudi Ambassador was her husband'. She also shared screen-shots of private conversations purportedly between them.
On Wednesday evening, while she was live on Facebook from her home, the stream abruptly ended after she claimed that individuals identifying as police officers forcibly entered her residence. The live video, which lasted over 12 minutes, was later deleted.
However, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has denied allegation that model Meghna Alam was abducted, stating that she was taken into custody following all legal procedures in accordance with national security concerns including attempts to disrupt diplomatic relations by spreading misinformation about high-profile individuals and engaging in conspiracies.
In a statement posted on its verified Facebook page on Friday, the DMP clarified that Meghna Alam is being held in protective custody under due process.
The Special Powers Act allows the government to detain individuals without formal trial for a specified period, primarily for reasons related to public safety, national security, and law and order. Authorities have emphasized that Meghna retains the right to seek legal recourse.
