Former lawmaker Akhtaruzzaman arrested in airport case

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Former lawmaker Major (retd) Akhtaruzzaman was arrested on Thursday in connection with a case over alleged assault, obstruction of official duties and disorder at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.

A team of detectives arrested him from his home in Dhaka Cantonment around 6:00pm, said Shafiqul Islam, additional commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch.

The case was filed earlier in the day over an incident at the airport on Wednesday, when passengers arriving from Madinah faced delays in receiving luggage amid heavy crowds and a shortage of trolleys.

According to the complaint, Akhtaruzzaman allegedly became agitated during the dispute, verbally abused airport Executive Director Group Captain SM Ragib Samad and threatened him.

The complaint further alleged that Warrant Officer Mohammad Kamal Uddin, a security supervisor, asked people accompanying Akhtaruzzaman to stop recording videos in a restricted area. Akhtaruzzaman allegedly abused and assaulted him after the request.

He was also accused of throwing Zamzam water bottles from passengers’ trolleys, damaging them, and behaving aggressively towards a representative of Biman Bangladesh Airlines.

The complainant said the incident obstructed officials from performing their duties and created a risk to security and normal operations at the airport.

Investigators may examine CCTV footage, security and access records, flight records and witness statements as part of the case.

Akhtaruzzaman joined Jamaat-e-Islami in December last year after being expelled from the BNP.