Bangladesh Jails Beauty Queen Meghna Alam After Accusing Her Of Threatening Diplomatic Relations

Last Updated:April 14, 2025, 22:34 IST

Model Meghna Alam detained in Bangladesh for disrupting state security, following accusations of harming diplomatic relations, police say.

Meghna Alam, Miss Earth Bangladesh 2020, arrested under Special Powers Act after alleged false accusations. (IMAGE: X)

Bangladeshi police arrested model Meghna Alam for allegedly threatening the country’s diplomatic ties on Sunday. Her father Badrul Alam, said her arrest followed a relationship with the then Saudi ambassador to Dhaka.

“The ambassador and Meghna were in a relationship, and my daughter refused his marriage proposal because he already has a wife and children," he was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.

The 30-year-old is being held without charge after falsely accusing “important individuals" with intent to worsen Bangladesh’s diplomatic ties, police said.

“These important individuals are foreign nationals," police spokesperson Muhammad Talebur Rahman was quoted as saying by the news agency.

She livestreamed what she said was an attempt to break into her home Wednesday.

Meghna Alam, a 30-year-old Bangladeshi model, actress and environmental advocate, shot to fame as Miss Earth Bangladesh 2020.

Since the age of 12, Meghna’s been tackling issues like gender dynamics, climate change and food security.

Alongside her career, she’s a mindful leadership trainer and chairs the Miss Bangladesh Foundation which pushes for societal welfare. As the Director of the Miss Bangladesh Organization, she plays a key role in choosing the country’s representatives for Miss Earth.

Police confirmed her detention Friday and said she was accused of “disrupting state security" and “prejudicing the country’s financial interests".

Amnesty posted a message on social media calling for Meghna’s release. “We call on the authorities to either charge Meghna with an internationally recognizable crime or release her," Amnesty wrote Friday on social media platform X, dubbing the legislation “draconian".

Asif Nazrul, law adviser to Bangladesh’s interim government, said Sunday using the Special Powers Act to detain Alam “was not appropriate".

Saudi Arabia is a constant donor of financial and humanitarian aid to Bangladesh. It also hosts 2.16 million Bangladeshi workers, the top nationality, according to the 2022 Saudi census.

Alam’s arrest under Bangladesh’s Special Powers Act, which permits people to be held indefinitely, was criticised by rights groups.

Dhaka, Bangladesh

News world Bangladesh Jails Beauty Queen Meghna Alam After Accusing Her Of Threatening Diplomatic Relations