The Detective Branch (DB) of police detained Shaukat Mahmood, former Jatiya Press Club president and secretary general of the Janata Party Bangladesh, in front of his residence at Kalabagan in the capital on Sunday afternoon.

Confirming the matter, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner (Media) Talebur Rahman said details about the detention will be disclosed later.

Additional Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam said Shaukat has been taken to the DB office for questioning in a case.

During the regime of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, he contested the 2024 parliamentary election from a constituency in Cumilla as an independent candidate. Earlier, the BNP had expelled him from the party’s vice-chairman position in 2023.

In April this year, the Janata Party Bangladesh emerged as a new political force, with renowned actor and road safety advocate Ilias Kanchan as its chairman and Shaukat Mahmood as secretary general.