Bangladesh arrests ex-general Masud Uddin Chowdhury over trafficking and multiple criminal cases

Bangladesh police have arrested retired Lieutenant General Masud Uddin Chowdhury , a controversial figure linked to the country’s 2007 military-backed political transition, and a court has placed him on remand for questioning in connection with a human trafficking case and several other criminal charges.

Chowdhury was detained late Monday night from his residence in Dhaka’s Baridhara area by the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police , officials said. He was later produced before a Dhaka court, which granted a five-day police remand to interrogate him in a human trafficking case filed at Paltan Police Station.

Police said Chowdhury is the third accused in a case that names 101 people , while investigators have so far identified at least 11 criminal cases linked to him .

According to DB chief Md Shafiqul Islam, the cases include murder, attempted murder, human trafficking and money laundering , filed across several police stations in Dhaka such as Banani, Paltan, Kotwali, Mirpur and Hatirjheel.

Authorities also said six cases have been filed against him in the Feni district , three of which are currently under trial where arrest warrants had been issued because he had been evading authorities. The remaining cases are under investigation.

Chowdhury, a retired three-star general, gained prominence during the political crisis known as “1/11” in January 2007 , when the military backed an interim government that replaced the caretaker administration amid intense political turmoil. He served as the chief coordinator of the National Coordination Committee on Combating Corruption and Crime , a powerful body that led anti-corruption drives and oversaw the detention of several top politicians during the emergency rule.

The army-backed administration governed Bangladesh for nearly two years before elections were held in December 2008.

After retiring from the military in 2008, Chowdhury entered politics and later became a member of parliament from the Feni-3 constituency representing the Jatiya Party. He also previously served as Bangladesh’s high commissioner to Australia following his military career.

Investigations into the former general have intensified in recent years. Bangladesh’s Criminal Investigation Department earlier filed a money laundering case against him and several others , alleging involvement in a human trafficking network linked to overseas job placements that siphoned large sums of money from migrant workers.

Police said further legal action could follow depending on the outcome of the interrogation and ongoing investigations.