Former parliamentarian and Awami League leader Khandaker Md Azizul Haque Arzu was detained by local Chhatra Dal activists in Dhaka’s Lalmatia on Monday night before being handed over to police. He was subsequently arrested by Mohammadpur police.
The incident took place at around 10.30pm on 14 September in front of Meena Bazar in Lalmatia. According to police, local Chhatra Dal activists stopped and detained Arzu at the location before handing him over to law enforcement.
Police said some Chhatra Dal activists physically assaulted him while he was being detained. The circumstances surrounding the confrontation and the events immediately before his detention are being examined by the authorities.
Arzu, 69, is a former MP for Pabna-2 constituency. He was elected to parliament from the constituency as an Awami League candidate in the 2014 national election. His home is in the Natiabari area of Aminpur in Pabna.
After receiving him from the Chhatra Dal activists, Mohammadpur police formally arrested Arzu. Police said he faces several cases, although details of those cases were not provided in the initial statement. Authorities are expected to review the case records and assess the allegations before deciding on further legal action.
His health condition also became a consideration following the arrest. Mohammadpur police said Arzu has a history of heart disease. After he was taken into custody, arrangements were made for him to receive medical attention. He was taken to a doctor under police escort, accompanied by members of his family.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Jewel Rana of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Tejgaon Division said local Chhatra Dal activists had assisted in detaining Arzu before he was handed over to police. He confirmed that Arzu was subsequently shown as arrested.
Rana said several cases were pending against the former MP and that police would verify the details of those cases. The authorities will review the allegations and the findings of the investigations before taking the next legal steps.
The incident comes amid heightened political activity in the capital, where encounters involving supporters of rival political groups have occasionally led to detentions and confrontations. In such situations, the role of law enforcement remains central to determining whether allegations against an individual warrant arrest and what legal procedure should follow.
For Arzu, the immediate issues are his ongoing medical condition and the cases cited by police. The authorities’ verification of the case records and subsequent investigation will determine the course of the legal proceedings against him.
