Atiqul Islam, the former mayor of the Dhaka North City Corporation, has been arrested as part of the ongoing detention of Awami League MPs and ministers following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government.

The Mohammadpur Police Station confirmed that Atiqul was apprehended in the DOHS area of Dhaka’s Mohakhali on Wednesday evening.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police spokesperson Muhammad Talebur Rahman stated that Atiqul is facing charges in three separate cases related to attacks on students and citizens during the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. His arrest was made based on these allegations.

Atiqul will be produced before the court on Thursday, said Talebur.

Atiqul first came to prominence when Annisul Huq won the mayoral election for Dhaka North on Apr 28, 2015.

Following Annisul's untimely death, a by-election was held on Feb 28, 2019, in which Atiqul won, supported by the Awami League.

He was re-elected in the regular elections held on Feb 1, 2020, again as the Awami League candidate. Amid the political shift, on Aug 19, 2024, administrators replaced the mayors of 12 city corporations, including Atiqul.

Atiqul and his brother Shafiqul Islam founded Islam Group in 1985, marking their entry into the garment industry. Atiqul currently serves as the group's director.

He also served as president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) during the 2013-14 term.

Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India on August 5 following a mass uprising. After the interim government was established on August 8, Awami League ministers, state ministers, prominent leaders, and influential parliamentarians were arrested one by one.

Currently, around 50 party members, including former ministers, MPs, advisers, and senior leaders, are in jail.