Journalist Iqbal Sobhan arrested, Rajib Ghosh releases on bond

The Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police has formally shown senior journalist and former information adviser to ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, as arrested in a murder case.

His arrest was officially recorded late on Wednesday night (November 4) in connection with a case filed with Jatrabari Police Station. Rajib Ghosh, a special correspondent for DBC News, who was detained along with him, was released after signing a bond.

According to DB sources, the case relates to a killing during the July mass uprising in 2024. Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury is named as an accused in the case. Additional Commissioner (DB) of DMP Md Shafiqul Islam confirmed the development around midnight, saying Chowdhury had been shown arrested in connection with the case.

The incident began on Wednesday when Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury visited the office of private television channel DBC News in the capital's Mohakhali area. Intelligence officials subsequently took him and Rajib Ghosh to the DB office on Minto Road, where both were questioned.

Earlier in the afternoon, DB Additional Commissioner Shafiqul Islam had said an unwanted situation had developed at the DBC office and that the two journalists had been brought to the DB office for their own security to avoid any untoward incident. At the time, he did not acknowledge that either had been detained or arrested. The formal arrest in the murder case was confirmed later that night.

Regarding Rajib Ghosh, the DB official said there were no cases or allegations against the journalist. He was therefore released after questioning upon signing a bond. He was freed around midnight.

Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury is the editor of The Daily Observer and a former chairman of DBC News.