Former State Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Mohammad Ali Arafat, was arrested today in Gulshan, Dhaka.

A Dhaka Metropolitan Police spokesperson confirmed the arrest to The Business Standard but did not provide details regarding the specific charges or the case involved. 

This arrest follows a directive from the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) issued two weeks ago, which instructed banks to freeze Arafat's and his wife Sharmin Mustary's accounts. The BFIU also requested that banks block all transactions from accounts associated with them.

Arafat, a prominent figure in the recently ousted Awami League-led government, gained significant attention last July when he defeated popular YouTuber and independent candidate Ashraful Alom, known as Hero Alom, in the Dhaka-17 by-election. 

The seat, which includes Gulshan, Banani, Baridhara, and parts of the Dhaka Cantonment, became vacant after the death of actor and freedom fighter Akbar Hossain Pathan Farooque on 14 May.

The election was noted for its historically low voter turnout and an assault on Alom. Arafat won decisively with 28,816 votes compared to Hero Alam's 5,609. He was subsequently re-elected from the same constituency in the 12th Jatiya Sangsad elections.

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