Former Speaker of Bangladesh’s National Parliament, Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury, was arrested early Tuesday morning from her residence after remaining out of public view for 20 months. According to reports, she was detained by the Detective Branch (DB) police around 4:30 a.m. She had gone into hiding on August 5, 2024, amid mass protests and an uprising that led to the fall of the previous government.

Sources indicated that during her disappearance, Chowdhury was under strict government surveillance and lived with her husband and younger son. She had resigned from her position as Speaker on September 2, 2024, though questions persisted about whether the resignation was voluntary. Allegations also surfaced that she applied for an e-passport while in hiding, possibly to leave the country. Chowdhury faces a murder case filed in Rangpur related to the July 2024 uprising, in which former minister Tipu Munshi is already in custody.

Following her arrest, she was taken to the DB office on Minto Road in Dhaka. Authorities may show her arrested in the ongoing murder case, which would require her appearance before a Rangpur court.