Former Law Minister Anisul Huq and former Private Industry and Investment Affairs Adviser to the ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Salman F Rahman, were arrested on Tuesday as they attempted to flee the capital.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Md Mainul Hasan informed the media that the two were apprehended at Sadarghat while trying to escape Dhaka. Their arrest is linked to a case filed at New Market Police Station.

According to police sources, the case involves the deaths of two individuals—a student and a hawker—who were killed in a clash in front of Dhaka College on 16 July during the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, which was demanding reforms to the quota system. Anisul Huq and Salman F Rahman have been accused of instigating the violence that led to these deaths.
On 5 August, former prime minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country amidst massive student protests demanding her ousting. Following her departure, several ministers, lawmakers, and other political figures went into hiding.

Anisul Huq, elected as a member of parliament (MP) from Brahmanbaria-4 (Akhaura and Kasba) under the Awami League banner in the controversial elections of 2014, 2018, and 2024, has now been detained.
Salman F Rahman, a former president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry and a founding member of the BEXIMCO Group, also served as an MP from Dhaka-1 in the 2018 and 2024 elections, both of which were widely boycotted by major opposition parties