DHAKA: Major General Ziaul Ahsan, former intelligence chief and close associate of the recently resigned Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was detained late Tuesday night after being removed from a plane at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
Local reports indicate that Emirates Flight 585, which was already on the runway, was ordered to return to the boarding bridge where authorities removed Ahsan from the aircraft. Following his removal, he was transported to the Dhaka cantonment for detention.
This dramatic turn of events comes just a day after Ahsan was relieved of his duties. He has been a prominent figure in Bangladesh’s military intelligence, serving since 2022 as the Director General of the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre, and previously as the Director of the same agency.
His military career, which began in earnest when he became the vice-captain of Rab-2 in 2009 and later a lieutenant colonel in charge of the intelligence wing at Rab headquarters, has been marked by controversies, highlighting his significant but contentious role within the military establishment.