Bangladeshi police on Tuesday arrested senior Awami League leader and former Parliament Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, the first woman to hold the post, from her residence in Dhanmondi, Dhaka.

Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (Media) NM Nasiruddin confirmed the arrest, stating that Chaudhury is currently undergoing interrogation, with further details to be announced later.

Police sources told local media that Chaudhury faces cases related to incidents during the July 2024 protests at Banani and Uttara police stations. Additionally, a case in Rangpur links her to the fatal shooting of gold worker Muslim Uddin during the same protests. The murder case, filed on August 27, 2024, implicates Chaudhury and 16 others, including former commerce minister Tipu Munshi, who remains in custody.

Chaudhury, a former MP from Rangpur-6, became the first female Speaker of the Parliament on April 30, 2013, serving four consecutive terms. Her latest term as Speaker of the 12th National Parliament began on January 30, 2024, and she stepped down on September 2, 2024, shortly after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government.

The Awami League has expressed concern over what it describes as ongoing mass arrests and custodial abuses of its leaders under the current Bangladesh Nationalist Party government, alleging the use of state machinery to suppress dissent and pursue political vengeance.