Former MP Nayeb Ali Jowardar Arrested in Jhenaidah

Former Jhenaidah-1 constituency MP and district Awami League member Bir Muktijoddha Nayeb Ali Jowardar has been arrested by police in Jhenaidah.

Police arrested him in the early hours of Saturday, 15 August, from his residence in the Arap­pur area of Jhenaidah town. Humayun Kabir Molla, officer-in-charge of Shailkupa Police Station, confirmed the arrest.

According to police, Jowardar had allegedly been attempting to mobilise Awami League activists around 15 August. Acting on information regarding the alleged effort, a special team from Shailkupa Police Station conducted an operation and detained him from his home.

The police officer said a case had been filed against Jowardar under the Anti-Terrorism Act at Shailkupa Police Station. Following his arrest, he was produced before a court, according to the police.

The arrest comes against the backdrop of heightened political sensitivity surrounding 15 August in Bangladesh. The date has historically carried major political significance because it marks the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members in 1975. Political activities and public gatherings associated with the date have remained particularly contentious amid the country’s changing political circumstances.

Nayeb Ali Jowardar is a veteran political figure in Jhenaidah and a recognised freedom fighter. He was elected as a member of parliament from the Jhenaidah-1 constituency as an Awami League candidate in a by-election held in 2024. His political career has been closely associated with the party’s activities in the district.

The police have linked his arrest specifically to alleged efforts to activate party supporters in connection with 15 August. The precise allegations and evidence cited in the case will be examined through the legal process.

His arrest is part of a wider pattern of increased scrutiny of political activities involving members and supporters of the Awami League following the political upheaval in Bangladesh. Police and other law-enforcement agencies have continued to monitor gatherings, organisational activities and alleged attempts to mobilise party supporters in different parts of the country.

As Jowardar has been sent before the court, further proceedings will determine the legal course of the case and whether the allegations brought against him are substantiated.