Private news channel Ekattor Television’s former head of news Shakil Ahmed and his wife and the channel’s principal correspondent and presenter Farzana Rupa were detained at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka while trying to leave Bangladesh for France.
Their daughter was held too. Shakil and Farzana have been facing many allegations over the years but never faced the music reportedly their close ties with the ousted Awami League government.
The family was scheduled to depart from the Dhaka airport at 6:20am on Wednesday via Turkish Airlines to Paris, France, via Istanbul.
Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) detained the couple on Wednesday morning.
In a media statement, law enforcement officials said: "Shakil Ahmed, Head of News, and Farzana Rupa, Principal Correspondent, both expelled journalists from the private satellite TV channel Ekattor Television, were scheduled to depart Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport for Paris, France via Istanbul on Turkish Airlines flight TK-713 at 6:20 a.m. today. However, they were denied exit clearance due to an ongoing case filed by the police’s Special Branch at Shahbagh Police Station."
They were sacked from Ekattor TV on 8 August after the fall of Sheikh Hasina government.
DB sources said the journalist couple have been taken to DB office at Minto Road for interrogation.
