Ahmed Reza Hasan Mahdi, a former coordinator of the radical Islamist Anti-Discrimination Student Movement (ADSM) and general secretary of its Habiganj district branch, was interrogated by immigration police at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport upon his return from New Delhi on Wednesday afternoon.
Mahdi landed at around 3:40pm on an IndiGo Airlines flight from Delhi. Sources at the airport confirmed that police officers at the immigration counter immediately began questioning him, holding him in custody for over two hours before releasing him later in the evening.
The interrogation follows his detention and deportation by Indian authorities at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi earlier that day. Reports indicate Mahdi was stopped around 12:20pm while attempting to board a flight back to Dhaka after check-in.
A self-proclaimed India hater, Mahdi had travelled to New Delhi to process a visa applicationโinitially linked to Finland or Portugalโthrough VFS Global. Indian immigration officials identified him during scrutiny, leading to questioning and subsequent deportation on the next available flight.
Arrest Police Killer Mahdi Hasan: India must not be a safe haven for terrorists
Mobocracy: Why Home Minister Salahuddinโs hollow promises are pathetic
Chaos, Capitulation, Corruption: Yunusโ 559-day jihadist nightmare
In a Facebook Live video recorded from Delhi airport after his release from Indian custody, Mahdi alleged mistreatment and “harassment” by Delhi Police. He claimed he was held for nearly 40 minutes, requested contact with the Bangladesh High Commission, and was subjected to poor behaviour before being expedited through immigration and put on a flight to Dhaka. He announced plans to hold a press conference in Bangladesh to detail his experience.
Mahdi’s notoriety stems from a viral video recorded on January 1, 2026, at Shayestaganj Police Station in Habiganj. During an argument over the detention of a former associate, he publicly boasted: “We burned down Baniachong Police Station, and we set fire to SI Santosh.”
This referred to the August 5, 2024, mob attack on Baniachang Police Station amid the anti-government uprising, where Sub-Inspector Santosh Chowdhury (a Hindu officer) was allegedly lynched, set ablaze, and his body hung from a tree in an act widely condemned as communal violence.
Following the video’s circulation, police arrested Mahdi on January 3, 2026, on charges including threatening officers and obstructing dutiesโbut not murder. Amid protests from student activists, he was granted bail within 24 hours.
Khalilur Rahmanโs inclusion dubbed a US ploy to control Tarique Rahman
Outrage as all religious scriptures but Quran ignored at oath-taking ceremony
BNP forms 49-member cabinet with Dark Prince Tarique as prime minister
His recent trip to India has sparked controversy, with critics questioning how he obtained entry (reportedly on a double-entry visa) despite his public admission and past arrest. Indian media and activists highlighted concerns over visa vetting processes, his stay in areas like Paharganj, and potential security risks given allegations of radical affiliations.
Upon release from the Dhaka airport questioning, no formal arrest was reported, though sources suggested further police action remains possible. Mahdi has not issued additional statements since his arrival.
Senior journalist Probir Kumar Sarker observes that the incident underscores ongoing tensions in Bangladesh’s post-uprising landscape, where figures from the 2024 movement face scrutiny amid calls for accountability over violence during that period. It also raises bilateral questions between Bangladesh and India regarding border security, visa protocols, and the handling of individuals with controversial backgrounds.
He said that the new government should arrest Mahdi and investigate the police murder while cancelling indemnity for the July anarchists for upholding the rule of law and ensuring justice for brutality against the Awami League supporters and the police force.
English 
Bengali