Hero Alam filed a case against Arafat in connection to the attack on him

Former Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Mohammad Ali Arafat, faces charges for an attack on independent candidate Hero Alam during the Dhaka-17 by-election. On August 28, Hero Alam filed a case in a Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court, with the court recording his statement and pending further orders. A day prior, Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Police raided a Gulshan house to arrest Arafat, leading to media reports of his detention, though police later denied official confirmation. Celebrating the arrest rumors, Hero Alam distributed sweets outside the Detective Police office and announced plans to file a murder case against Arafat. Arafat, a long-time Awami League "think tank" member and former television talk show participant, was elected to parliament in July 2023, defeating Hero Alam. He has been implicated in several cases, including the death of a student during an anti-discrimination protest. Recently, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit ordered a freeze on Arafat and his wife's bank accounts, halting all withdrawals.