Bangladesh: Helena Jahangir arrested
Bangladesh desk: Helena Jahangir, who has recently been relieved from the Awami League’s Women Affairs sub-committee, was arrested just after Thursday midnight from her Gulshan residence in Dhaka, a Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) source told The Daily Observer Online.
She was arrested from her 5/B Flat on the 4th Floor at House No. 5, Road No. 36, Gulshan-2 at about 12:15am.
RAB said casino game equipment, huge quantity of liquor, yaba pills, a deer hide, a wild animal hide, minimum 10 types of sharp knives, foreign currencies, two walkie-talkie, and a red-colored luggage containing illegal goods were seized from her flat before her arrest.
Arrested Helena Jahangir was then taken to the RAB Headquarters at Uttara in the capital.
RAB also said Helena Jahangir was arrested for questioning whether she had any links with the illegal goods seized from her flat.
Earlier, RAB conducted raid at the residence of Helena Jahangir at her Gulshan residence at about 8:00pm, said RAB’s Legal and Media Wing Director Commander Khondker Al Moyeen.
He said Helena Jahangir’s residence was raided on the basis of various charges. Details will be known after the raid.
Expressing anonymity, a guard of the house said some 10/12 RAB personnel entered Helena Jahangir’s flat after 8:00pm on Thursday. After sometime, 10 to 12 female RAB personnel entered the flat. At about 12:00 midnight, RAB said illicit foreign liquor, yaba poills and other illegal goods were seized from Helena Jahangir’s flat.
Recently, Awami League issued an official press release on Sunday relieving Helena Jahangir from the party’s Women Affairs sub-committee. It said Helena Jahangir was a member of AL’s Women Affairs sub-committee. But, she has been relieved from the member post due to her recent anti-organisational activities spread on a social medium.
A day after her relieving from the sub-committee, Helena Jahangir appeared on Facebook live and burst into tears. She also denied all the allegations brought against her.
Helena Jahangir, also the founder and CEO of Joyjatra Television, became the member of Awami League’s Women Affairs sub-committee on January 17 this year. Earlier in December 2020, she became Cumilla North District Awami League’s advisory committee member. She collected the party nomination form in late Abdul Matin Khasru’s seat following his death, but did not receive the party nomination.
Helena Jahangir, businesswoman and FBCCI director, has come under strong criticism following her announcement through Facebook to make leaders. She announced to appoint presidents and general secretaries at upazila, district and abroad under the banner of an organisation called “Bangladesh Awami Chakurijibi League.”
