Court rejects model Meghna Alam’s plea for returning passport
A Dhaka court has rejected an application by model and former winner of Miss Earth Bangladesh Meghna Alam seeking the return of her passport, which had been seized in connection with a fraud and extortion case filed at Dhanmondi police station.
Metropolitan Magistrate MA Azharul Islam delivered the order today (30 September) after a hearing. Meghna Alam's lawyers, Mahima Bandhan and Mohsin Reza Palash, confirmed the development, noting that she often travels abroad as a leadership trainer and had requested her passport for professional commitments.
Earlier, on 29 July, Meghna's legal team had also petitioned for the return of her passport, mobile phone, and laptop. While the court ordered an investigation into whether her devices contained any anti-state material, it did not release the items. The case is scheduled for its next hearing on 11 November.
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Among the seized items are Meghna's passport, an iPhone 16 Pro, a MacBook, an Oppo mobile phone, and a laptop.
Case background
According to the case documents, Meghna Alam, Dewan Samir, and 2-3 unidentified individuals are part of an organised fraud syndicate. The group allegedly used attractive young women to entrap foreign diplomats and wealthy businessmen in Bangladesh, establishing illicit relationships and later extorting large sums of money through threats of public humiliation.
Dewan Samir is identified as the CEO of "Kawaii Group" and owner of a manpower agency named "Sanjana International." He was previously associated with "Mirai International Event Management Ltd.," which allegedly recruited women as brand ambassadors to gain access to elite foreign and local clients.
The conspiracy was reportedly aimed at bolstering Samir's businesses through unethical means, including targeting diplomats for extortion.
Previously, on 10 April, Meghna was detained for 30 days under the Special Powers Act but was later released. She was formally arrested on 17 April in connection with this case, and on April 28, she was granted bail.
