BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and several senior leaders find themselves unable to use their phones even after their release from prison. This predicament stems from the fact that plainclothes police officers confiscated their mobile phones at the time of their arrest and were not returned upon release.

According to sources close to the BNP General Secretary, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, he was taken from his residence in Gulshan by plainclothes police on October 29 last year. Subsequently, he was detained at the DB office on Mintu Road for approximately 9 hours. During this time, Mirza Fakhrul underwent interrogation, and his phone was inspected and scanned. Consequently, he perceives it risky to continue using the same phone and number.

The last activity on Mirza Fakhrul's WhatsApp number was observed on October 29, 2023. Since then, there has been no activity on his mobile number. In the past, when he was released from prison, he was available on the phone, but this time he was not.

Shayrul Kabir Khan, a member of BNP's media cell, informed Outlook that the General Secretary's health has been poor, and he has not acquired a new phone yet, choosing to wait until he has fully recovered.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury were released from prison on Thursday, February 15, after 109 and 105 days of arrest, respectively.

Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, the standing committee member of the party, was picked up on November 2 from a residence in Gulshan, only to be arrested later in connection with a case filed by the police regarding an attack on the Chief Justice's residence. According to Amir Khosru's son, Israfil Khosru, the police did not seize any phones at the location of his father's arrest but took his mother's phone, which was returned after a few hours.

Before Amir Khosru's arrest, the police searched his two flats in Banani, confiscating his father's passport and his mother's mobile phone, which was later returned after approximately 40-50 minutes.

BNP organising secretary Syed Imran Saleh recounted his own experience, stating that he was arrested by members of the police's Counter Terrorism Unit, who confiscated his phone. He was subsequently handed over to the Paltan police station. Despite attempting to contact the Paltan police station after being released on bail, he could not retrieve his phone as they claimed not to have it. Additionally, the Counter Terrorism Unit did not provide any contact information to his sister. As a result, he was compelled to purchase a new phone.

Imran Saleh remarked that some individuals have abandoned their phones due to similar issues. Various police units have cloned the phones or extracted all the information by scanning them.