A Dhaka metropolitan magistrate court on Thursday rejected the bail prayer by model and chairperson for Miss Bangladesh Foundation Meghna Alam in a case filed with the Dhanmondi police station over allegations of fraud and extortion.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Masuma Rahman passed the order following a hearing by three lawyers, lawyer Mohsin Reza, lawyer Mahima Badhon and lawyer Sadman Shakib on behalf of Meghna Alam, said court officials.
During the hearing, Meghna鈥檚 lawyers said that there was no specific allegation against Meghna Alam and the case with was filed against her to humiliate her.
They argued that she could get bail considering her status as a woman.
On April 17, a Dhaka metropolitan magistrate court showed her arrested in the case.
Model Meghna Alam on that day before a Dhaka court claimed that she had a relationship only with Saudi Arabia鈥檚 ambassador to Bangladesh Essa Yousef Essa Alduhailan.
On April 15, Dhanmondi model police station inspector Mohammad Abdul Alim filed the case accusing Meghna, Samir, and two to three unidentified persons of extortion and fraud.
According to the case statement, Meghna, Samir, and two to three others were allegedly active members of an organised fraud gang.
They allegedly used women to lure diplomats and representatives of foreign missions in Bangladesh, as well as wealthy local businessmen, into romantic and illicit relationships, and then used various illegal tactics to extort money by threatening to tarnish their reputation, the case statement said.
According to the statement, Samir is the chief executive officer of a business organisation called KAWAII Group and the owner of a manpower firm named Sanjana International.
As part of a scheme to gain access to diplomats and wealthy businessmen, Samir allegedly used women as brand ambassadors in his companies to blackmail diplomats and extort large sums of money, the case statement said.
The case statement also said that a meeting was held at a restaurant at Dhanmondi in the capital on March 29, where Meghna, Samir, and others allegedly conspired to demand and extort $5 million from the diplomat through blackmail.
The name of the diplomat, however, was not mentioned in the case statement.
Earlier, on April 9, the Detective Branch of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police detained Meghna from her residence in the Bashundhara residential area.
The next day, a Dhaka court ordered that Meghna be kept in jail for 30 days under the Special Powers Act 1974.
On April 13, the High Court issued a rule asking relevant government authorities to explain in two weeks why Meghna鈥檚 arrest under the Special Powers Act should not be declared illegal.
