Anwara’s Controversial Former Female Vice Chairman Badni Arrested

Police have arrested Mariyam Begum, also known as Badni, the controversial former Female Vice Chairman of Anwara Upazila in Chattogram. She was arrested on Saturday (10 December) around 9:00 pm from the North Bandar area under Karnafuli Police Station.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Karnafuli Police Station, Md. Shahinur Alam, confirmed the arrest, stating that Mariyam Begum was detained under the Anti-Terrorism Act. Further legal proceedings against her are currently underway.

According to police sources, Mariyam Begum alias Badni was an accused in the widely discussed 2004 case involving the seizure of 10 truckloads of arms at the CUFL jetty in Chattogram. She served six months in prison in connection with the case.

In her political career, she served two consecutive terms as the Female Vice Chairman of Anwara Upazila. Earlier, in 2011, she was elected as a reserved female member of Bairag Union Parishad. After a lengthy legal process, she was acquitted in the 10-truck arms haul case in 2014 and subsequently returned to politics, winning the election for the Female Vice Chairman post. Later, in 2019, she was re-elected unopposed.

Following her acquittal in the high-profile arms haul case, Mariyam Begum gained significant attention at both local and national levels.