A joint force detained Jahangir Alam, an Awami League leader and former chairman of Majidpur Union Parishad, in Shahpur village of Titas upazila, Cumilla, on Wednesday morning. He was reportedly preparing to join the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) during a local campaign event when he was arrested from his home. Alam was the general secretary of the now-banned Awami League unit in Majidpur Union.

Local sources said Alam had not been seen publicly since August 5. His detention occurred as BNP held a campaign and road meeting in the area. Residents claimed that a few hours after the arrest, Alam’s elder brother Ripon Sarkar joined BNP by presenting flowers to Selim Bhuiyan, the BNP candidate for Cumilla-2 constituency. Allegations also exist that Alam was involved in several violent incidents and cases related to local dominance since August.

Titas police confirmed the arrest, stating that Alam was a named accused in a case linked to an anti-discrimination movement and that legal proceedings to send him to court were underway.