Meghna Alam


Meghna Alam is a Bangladeshi model,politician, environmental advocate, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned as Miss Earth Bangladesh 2020. She represented Bangladesh for the first time at Miss Earth 2020. She is also the chairperson of the Miss Bangladesh Organization.
She was detained in April 2025 as an alleged national security threat. Her detention has come under scrutiny from various human rights organizations and media claiming it was unlawful.
Meghna Alam was engrossed in a controversial highly publicised affair with the Saudi Arabian ambassador Essa Yousef Essa Al Duhailan to Bangladesh in 2025.
The affair became public and Alam shared multiple counts of when the Arabian diplomat offered her a ring and promised to marry her. This was denied by the Arabian deiplomat and he insisted that she had an abortion to their child.

Career

Alam founded and served as the CEO of Ekottro Foundation. She worked as a woman leadership trainer. She competed in Miss Universe Bangladesh in 2019 and finished 18th.
In 2020, Alam competed and won the Miss Earth Bangladesh.

Detention under Special Powers Act

On 10 April 2025, Alam was detained under the Special Powers Act, 1974 following an appeal by the Detective Branch of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police. Her detention was ordered by Home Ministry of Bangladesh for 30 days under Section 3 of the act, which allows for preventative detention to ensure public safety and law and order. Her arrest followed rumours of abduction after being detained while live on Facebook. Authorities stated that Alam had been detained for allegedly spreading misinformation that could harm Bangladesh's diplomatic relationships and cause potential economic loss. Following the court's order at midnight, Alam was transferred to Kashimpur Central Jail. Following a complaint by a senior diplomat at the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Bangladesh, she was detained. She is believed to be in a relationship with Essa Yousef Essa Al Duhailan, ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Bangladesh. She was placed in 30-day detention under a security order under the Special Powers Act, which allows for detention without trial. Amnesty International expressed concerns over her detention.