Ivy Arrested Amid Overnight Standoff; Police Convoy Attacked
In a dramatic turn of events, former Narayanganj City Corporation Mayor Dr. Selina Hayat Ivy was arrested early Friday morning following a tense overnight standoff between law enforcement and her supporters.
Police apprehended Ivy around 5:45 AM from her residence, "Chunka Kutir," located in the Deobhog area of Narayanganj. Authorities stated that multiple cases had been filed against her.
The incident began late Thursday night around 11:30 PM, when a team from the Narayanganj Sadar Model Police Station arrived at Ivy’s home to arrest her. News of the operation quickly spread, prompting local residents and long-time supporters to gather in protest. Demonstrators blocked four roads leading to her home using bamboo poles, pushcarts, and rickshaw vans. Loudspeaker announcements from nearby mosques called more people to the scene, turning the area into a flashpoint of unrest.
Addressing her supporters from inside her home, Ivy said, “Tell them [the police] I will not go at night. If they want to arrest me, they must come during the day.”
As the crowd outside grew larger, the police team inside Ivy's house found themselves effectively trapped. Although additional police units were deployed around midnight, the protestors’ resistance prevented them from reaching the house. Negotiations between police and Ivy’s supporters continued throughout the night in an effort to de-escalate the situation.
Eventually, high-ranking police officials entered the residence early Friday morning and carried out the arrest shortly before sunrise.
However, tensions escalated further during the transfer of Ivy to the Detective Branch (DB) office. Around 6:30 AM, as a convoy of 15 police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) vehicles made their way through the Kalir Bazar intersection on BB Road, a group of 30 to 40 unidentified individuals attacked the vehicles.
Witnesses reported that stones were thrown and crude bombs were detonated. The attack left at least five people injured, including two police officers. The identities of the injured were not immediately available.
Following the ouster of the Awami League-led government on August 5, several cases were filed against Ivy. Police have confirmed that she is facing at least five charges, including allegations of murder and attempted murder linked to the July–August public uprising.
