Why is Bangladesh arresting actors for treason? After Meher Afroz Shaon, Sohana Saba too taken into custody

Hours after Bangladeshi Police arrested actor Meher Afroz Shaon for treason, another actor was taken into custody by the Detective Branch of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police on Thursday.

Police said actress Sohana Saba has been taken into custody by the  Dhaka Metropolitan Police for questioning. This development was confirmed by DMP in a statement around 1:00 am on Thursday. However, the cause for her arrest was not mentioned. Reports hint that Saba too had been arrested for conspiring against the state. 

Earlier, Meher Afroz Shaon was detained on charges of plotting against the state. Protestors had also put her ancestral house on fire just after the arrests.  

However, the police soon refuted reports of arrest, stating that she had only been detained. "No decision has been made yet. The questioning is still ongoing," DB Chief Rezaul Karim Mallick told reporters. 

Shaon is the daughter of Engineer Mohammad Ali, an Awami League leader. Her mother was also an Awami League MP from the reserved seat for women from 1996-2001 and again from 2009-2014. 

Many view Shaon's arrest as a political vendetta as she was close to deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Reports indicated that she had been critical of Bangladesh's interim government led by Muhammad Yunus.

Though the government officially had made no mention of the reasons for the arrest, both supported the Hasina government. Saba was earlier criticised in social media for "misinformation" after her pro-Awami League posts invited wrath from those who deposed her. Saba also came under the radar in Bangladesh for sharing an image of Hasina. 

She had also recently shared images about her nomination as a jury member in the Jaipur International Film Festival, thanking the Indian authorities for inviting her. A prominent figure in the Bangladeshi entertainment industry, Saba is known for her roles in films such as "Ayna" and "Brihonnola."