Police have released actor, singer, and director Meher Afroz Shaon, along with actor and model Sohana Saba, “into the custody of their families.”
The two were detained by police detectives on Thursday night under allegations of “being involved in conspiracies against the state.”
They were released around 5 pm on Friday, according to Mohammad Talebur Rahman, a spokesperson for the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).
The police official did not disclose the specific allegations against the two actors or what was learned during their questioning.
He also dismissed rumors circulating on social media about Shaon being hospitalized, calling them false.
DMP’s Detective Branch took Shaon into custody around 8 pm on Thursday, while Saba was detained several hours later at 1 am from Dhaka’s Dhanmondi.
Shaon, known for her close association with the Awami League government before its ouster in August last year, recently drew attention with her Facebook posts.
In 2024, she collected the party’s nomination form to run for the reserved women’s seat in the 12th parliament from Mymensingh Division.
Saba gained attention last year for supporting the ruling Awami League’s crackdown on the Anti-discrimination Student Movement, which began in July.
During the protests, Saba and several other artists were reportedly active in a WhatsApp group called “Alo Ashbei” (light will come), where they opposed the movement.
On Wednesday, the “bulldozer march” program, initially called for at Dhanmondi-32 in response to deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s online speech from India, spread to multiple locations across Bangladesh.
A crane and two excavators were used to demolish Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s residence at Dhanmondi-32, while Sudha Sadan, Hasina’s home at Dhanmondi-5, was set on fire.
Properties belonging to the former prime minister’s relatives and Awami League leaders, as well as several sculptures, were vandalized in different districts.
Amid widespread discussions on social media about the incidents, police detectives detained Shaon and Saba for questioning.
