‘My relationship is only with Saudi ambassador, no one else’, model Meghna tells court
Appearing in court, Meghna insisted she was unjustly imprisoned
Former Miss Earth Bangladesh and model Meghna Alam has told a Dhaka court that her relationship was only with Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Essa Yousef Essa Al Duhailan and no one else.
"My relationship is only with Saudi Ambassador Essa. I have no bonds with anyone else," she said during a hearing today (17 April), with permission from Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Masum Mia.
She was brought to the court for a hearing to show her arrested in a fraud case filed at Dhanmondi Police Station, which accuses her of luring foreign diplomats into romantic traps.
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Meghna was arrested from her residence in the Bashundhara Residential Area on 9 April and initially detained under the Special Powers Act. Following public outcry over her detention without a formal case, police have now filed a fraud case against her.
Appearing in court, Meghna insisted she was unjustly imprisoned.
"I was sent to jail without a trial. I was married to Essa. He accused me of aborting his child, which is absolutely untrue. I discussed the matter with Essa and asked him not to share the information further. I also spoke with DG Shafiqur from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding these issues. Shortly after, the police arrested me," she claimed.
During the hearing, the investigating officer submitted a petition to officially show Meghna arrested in the case. The public prosecutor supported the request, and the court granted it.
The case alleges that Meghna, along with accused Md Dewan Samir, owner of Sanjana Manpower, orchestrated a scheme to entrap foreign diplomats using attractive women with the intent to extort large sums of money.
"The accused devised a sophisticated strategy to trap diplomats and embassy officials, most recently targeting the Saudi ambassador and allegedly demanding $5 million from him," said the public prosecutor.
Both Meghna and Samir have been shown arrested in the case. The court also approved a five-day remand for Samir.
Meanwhile, co-accused Samir denied all allegations and any association with Meghna. "I'm being called Meghna Alam's boyfriend, which is false. I have no connection with her. I'm just a remittance fighter who lived abroad for a long time. I know nothing about this case," he said.
As Meghna was being escorted from the courtroom, she told reporters, "I am not getting justice," before police officers silenced her and moved her to the custody cell.
