Ex-DG of foreign ministry held at Lalmonirhat border

The police have arrested an Awami League-era foreign ministry official after he returned from India illegally through the Lalmonirhat border on Saturday noon.

Lalmonirhat district police Superintendent Md Asaduzzaman confirmed the arrest at night.

Sabbir bin Shams was the director general at the Foreign Ministry under a contract signed with the then Awami League government. Following the ouster of the government in an uprising, corruption cases were filed against Sabbir.

On Saturday noon, he illegally crossed the border into Bangladesh from India at the Dahgram area, Patgram upazila in Lalmonirhat.

Locals spotted his illegal trespass in the border area and informed the police, who took him into custody.

Police found seven passports including two diplomatic passports from Sabbir’s possession.

Police later handed him over to the detective branch (DB) for interrogation. Afterwards, he would be produced before the court, said Md Asaduzzaman.