Former Foreign Minister Dr Hassan Mahmud and former State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak were detained at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) while they were to leave the country on Tuesday afternoon.
The airport authorities confirmed the detention of Hassan Mahmud, also the Joint General Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League and Zunaid Ahmed Palak. The duo were trying to flee the country, airport sources said.
This development came a day after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and left the country for India on Monday. Her resignation triggered a wave of attempts by ministers and top leaders to flee the country. According to airport sources, Palak arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal Airport around 3pm along with two of his personal staff members. However, the immigration officials prevented him from boarding a plane and detained him for questioning.
Besides, two leaders of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), student wing of the Awami League, were detained in the afternoon while attempting to flee the country. The two BCL leaders are Tanvir Hasan Saikat, General Secretary of the Dhaka University unit of BCL and Riaz Mahmud, General Secretary of BCL’s the Dhaka North City unit.
Saikat was detained at the immigration section and is currently under their custody. Riaz was detained while trying to leave the country.
