Journalist couple Shakil, Rupa held

Journalist couple Shakil Ahmed and Farzana Rupa were detained on Wednesday at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) by the Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) while they were flying to Paris, according to airport sources.

Shakil Ahmed, the former head of news at the private channel Ekattor TV, and his wife Farzana Rupa, who previously served as a principal correspondent and anchor at the same channel, were both dismissed from their positions on August 8 following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government.

The couple was scheduled to depart from Dhaka airport on Wednesday morning, boarding a Turkish Airlines flight to Paris, France, with a stopover in Istanbul.

Despite having received clearance to fly from various intelligence agencies and immigration authorities, a DB team arrived at the airport and informed officials that a case had been filed against the couple at a police station in Dhaka.

The DB officers then took them in for questioning regarding the case. The couple was traveling with their daughter at the time.

According to DB sources, Shakil and Farzana have been taken to the DB office on Minto Road for further interrogation.

Earlier, on August 8, Mustafa Azad, on behalf of Ekattor TV's managing director, issued a statement confirming the dismissal of the two journalists.

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