Police have arrested former Jhenaidah-1 constituency MP and district Awami League member Naieb Ali Jowarder from his home in Arappur, Jhenaidah town, in the early hours of Saturday, 15 August.
Humayun Kabir Molla, officer-in-charge of Shailkupa Police Station, confirmed the arrest. According to police, Jowarder was allegedly attempting to organise and mobilise Awami League activists ahead of 15 August. Acting on information received in connection with the alleged activities, a special police team conducted an operation at his residence and took him into custody.
Police subsequently filed a case against him under the Anti-Terrorism Act and produced him before the court, according to the authorities.
No immediate statement was available from Jowarder or his representatives regarding the allegations. As a result, the circumstances surrounding the arrest are currently based primarily on the account provided by law enforcement.
Jowarder has been a prominent figure in Jhenaidah politics for many years. A freedom fighter and former member of parliament, he was associated with the district Awami League and represented the Jhenaidah-1 constituency. He was elected as an Awami League candidate in a by-election held in 2024.
This is not the first time Jowarder has faced arrest. In September 2024, he was detained from his Arappur residence during a joint operation involving the Rapid Action Battalion and the Bangladesh Army. At the time, several cases had reportedly been filed against him in connection with allegations of attacks, vandalism, arson and other acts of violence in Jhenaidah Sadar.
Among the allegations were incidents involving the district office of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the residence of the party’s district president, where arson and vandalism had reportedly taken place. Jowarder was later released after obtaining interim bail from the court.
The latest arrest comes against the backdrop of heightened law-enforcement attention surrounding political activities linked to 15 August. Police said the former MP was allegedly seeking to reactivate and bring together Awami League supporters who had remained politically inactive.
The development is significant because political mobilisation around major national and historical dates has often carried wider implications for public order, particularly during periods of political uncertainty. Law-enforcement agencies have therefore continued to monitor gatherings and organisational activities that they believe could affect security or public order.
The next stage will centre on the legal proceedings arising from the latest case. The court will determine the appropriate course of action as the allegations are examined and the investigation progresses.
An arrest or the filing of a case does not, by itself, establish guilt. The allegations against Jowarder will ultimately have to be substantiated through the judicial process, where he will have the opportunity to respond to the accusations brought against him.
