Bangladesh police arrest lawyer-publisher tied to opposition

A prominent lawyer and newspaper publisher who is tied to Bangladesh’s political opposition has been arrested on a defamation charge amid concern the government is acting tough on dissent ahead of national elections.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police official Mahbub Alam said early Tuesday that detectives arrested Moinul Hosein after raiding an opposition leader’s home in Dhaka, the nation’s capital.

Alam said Hosein was arrested after a court in northern Bangladesh issued an arrest warrant on Monday in a case involving a recent comment in a television talk show where Hosein called a female journalist “characterless” after she asked him if he represented the Jamaat-e-Islami party.

Hosein is expected to be produced before court Tuesday.

Bangladesh polls are expected in December.