Shomi Kaiser arrested in Uttara

Police arrested businesswoman and actress Shomi Kaiser in Uttara, Dhaka, on Tuesday night.

Rawnak Jahan, Deputy Commissioner (Uttara Division) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), confirmed the arrest.

On October 14, a Tk 100 crore defamation case was filed against Shomi Kaiser in the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court of Magura, accusing her of making derogatory comments about BNP founder and former President Ziaur Rahman on multiple occasions.

Before this, on August 14, Shomi Kaiser resigned from her position as president of the E-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (e-CAB). She was also a member of the Awami League's sub-committee on Liberation War Affairs. Additionally, she collected nomination papers from the Awami League to contest the Feni-3 constituency in the 2024 elections. However, she did not receive the party’s nomination for the seat.

Shomi Kaiser was a renowned actress and producer in the 1990s. Born in 1970, she is the daughter of Shahidullah Kaiser and Panna Kaiser. Her mother, Panna, is a writer and a former Member of Parliament. Maya, the wife of former President AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury, is Panna’s sister.

Shomi Kaiser and politician Mahi B. Chowdhury are maternal cousins.