Police arrest former Narayanganj mayor Ivy

Police have arrested former Narayanganj City Corporation mayor Selina Hayat Ivy.

The three-time mayor got onto a police car around 5:45am on Friday from her Deobhog home after keeping law enforcers waiting the entire night.

Ivy has been named in five cases filed regarding killings and attacks during the mass uprising in July, said Additional Police Superintendent Tarek Al Mehedi.

He told bdnews24.com that Ivy will be shown arrested in one of the cases.

Earlier on Thursday, a team of police from Sadar Model Police Station went to Ivy's ancestral home "Chunka Kutir" around 11:30pm. Ivy remained in her home even as most of Awami League leaders and activists in Narayanganj fled after the fall of the government in the face of a mass uprising in August. She is the former senior vice president of the Narayanganj Awami League.

Meanwhile, thousands of locals took to the streets at night after hearing about the police raid. They chanted slogans saying they would not allow Ivy to be arrested in the "dead of night."

Later, additional police personnel arrived at the scene but had to step back as the public blocked them. Senior officials of the police went inside and spoke to Ivy. However, she said she would not go anywhere "at night." The police team them then remained inside her home. After six hours of waiting, Ivy got on a police vehicle voluntarily.

Thousands of people chanted slogans supporting Ivy as she was taken away. They remained outside her home for the entire night.