Abdul Hamid Resturns, Not Arrested Due to Lack of Warrant

Former president Abdul Hamid has returned to Bangladesh today (9 June) after a month-long hospital visit in Bangkok.

He returned to Dhaka, arriving at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at around 1:30am on a Thai Airways flight (TG-339), confirmed Group Captain SM Ragib Samad, executive director of Shahjalal International Airport.

Airport sources said after landing in the country, former president Abdul Hamid went to the immigration counter at 1:45am. He then left the airport around 3am.

His initial departure on 8 May was met with widespread controversy.

When the news of his exit became known, an additional deputy commissioner of the Immigration Police was withdrawn due to alleged negligence in their duties regarding their connection to the departure.

An officer of the Special Branch was also suspended on the same grounds.

The government has formed a high-level committee including 3 members of the Advisory Council to investigate his defection.

Meanwhile, Advisor to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Lieutenant General (Retd.) Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, stated that former President Md. Abdul Hamid was not detained as there was no arrest warrant against him.

He made the remarks on Monday morning while responding to journalists' questions during an inspection at Jatrabari Police Station in the capital. The advisor said, "Since there is no warrant against him, the question of arrest does not arise. However, if any crime is proven, legal action will be taken against him accordingly."