Masud Uddin Chowdhury on 5-day remand

A Dhaka court has placed former lawmaker Lt Gen (retd) Masud Uddin Chowdhury on a five-day remand in a human trafficking case filed with Paltan Police Station.

He was produced before the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday evening, where Metropolitan Magistrate Aminul Islam Junaid granted the remand. 

Investigators from the Detective Branch (DB) had sought a 10-day remand for further questioning.

Earlier, a DB team arrested him during a late-night raid at a residence in Baridhara DOHS on early Tuesday. 

DB Chief and Additional Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam said Chowdhury faces a total of 11 cases, five in Dhaka and six in Feni, covering allegations including human trafficking, fraud, extortion and murder. 

An arrest warrant had already been issued against him in a case filed in Feni.

Once regarded as an influential military officer during the 2007–08 caretaker government period, Chowdhury entered politics after retirement. 

He was elected as a member of parliament from Feni-3 in 2018 and later served as Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to Australia.

The latest case stems from his alleged involvement in the manpower export sector following his retirement.