The Indian Border Security Force (BSF) has arrested Mohammad Arifuzzaman, a key accused in the murder of student leader Abu Sayed, at the Basirhat-Swarupnagar Bithari Hakimpur border checkpost in North 24 Parganas district, West Bengal.

He was apprehended late on Saturday night, August 32, while allegedly attempting to illegally cross into India amid heavy rain and stormy weather.

Arifuzzaman, formerly the Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) with Rangpur Metropolitan Police and later posted at APBN-2 in Muktagachha, Mymensingh, was a close aide to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and served as the Assistant Personal Security Officer (APSO) to her sister, Sheikh Rehana. He had been on the run since the fall of the Awami League government on 5 August and had reportedly been hiding in various districts across Bangladesh, including several months in Satkhira near the Indian border.

Taking advantage of the inclement weather, Arifuzzaman attempted to infiltrate into West Bengal through the Hakimpur area, but was intercepted by personnel from the BSF’s 143rd Battalion.

Initially, the BSF intended to push him back into Bangladesh, but Arifuzzaman pleaded for protection, warning that he could be killed if returned.

After a lengthy confrontation, he was handed over to Swarupnagar Police Station under Basirhat subdivision, where a search yielded several important documents.

On Sunday (24 August), Arifuzzaman was produced before the Basirhat Sub-Divisional Judicial Court, which remanded him to 14 days of judicial custody.

A case has been registered against him under Section 566/2025 and Section 14B of the Foreigners Act. No legal representation was present during the hearing.

Following the arrest, both the BSF and West Bengal Police formally informed senior officials of the West Bengal government.

Given the gravity of the case, the matter has also been escalated to the Bangladeshi High Commissioner in New Delhi.

However, the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata declined to confirm the arrest when approached for comment.

The detention of a high-profile police officer linked to a major political figure marks a significant development in the ongoing investigations into the violent incidents during the final days of the previous regime in Bangladesh.