Salman F Rahman, the former adviser on private sector industry and investment to ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and former Law Minister Anisul Huq have been detained and taken to the Detective Branch (DB) office of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP). They were arrested by law enforcement officials on Tuesday from Sadarghat in Dhaka. Later that evening, they were transported to the DB office, a senior DB officer confirmed.
DMP Commissioner Md Mainul Hasan stated that both individuals have been shown as arrested in connection with a case filed at the New Market police station in Dhaka. The case involves two murders that occurred during a student protest against quota reform on July 16 in front of Dhaka College, resulting in the deaths of a student and a street vendor. Salman F Rahman and Anisul Huq are accused of being instigators in these killings.
The arrest comes in the wake of significant political upheaval following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s departure from the country on August 5 amid a widespread student and public movement. In the aftermath, members of her cabinet and leaders of the Awami League have reportedly gone into hiding.
Anisul Huq, who was elected as an MP from Brahmanbaria-4 (Kasba) in 2014, served as the law minister under the Awami League government. Salman F Rahman, a prominent business leader and co-founder of Beximco Group, was elected as an MP from Dhaka-1 constituency in 2018 and subsequently served as Sheikh Hasina’s adviser on private industry and investment.
Following the fall of the Awami League government, an interim government led by Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus was sworn in on August 8.
