A former Bangladeshi beauty queen’s glittering career and activism took a devastating turn after an alleged affair with a Saudi ambassador spiraled into scandal, arrest, and public disgrace. Meghna Alam, Miss Earth Bangladesh 2020, claims her brief relationship with Essa Yousef Al Duhailan, then Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Bangladesh, triggered a state-backed smear campaign and legal storm that has left her reputation in tatters and her life in ruins.
Meghna Alam, now 30, recalls meeting Al Duhailan at a Dhaka event in September 2024. She says the envoy courted her with expensive gifts, including jewellery, flowers, a diamond ring, and 200 kilograms of dates marked as a “Gift from the King of Saudi Arabia.” Alam admitted she was drawn to the power and influence of a high-ranking diplomat pursuing her. “He seemed like a very genuine person,” she told The Independent UK. “But things were moving too fast.”
The beauty queen claims Al Duhailan told her he was divorced but revealed that Saudi diplomats were prohibited from marrying Bangladeshi nationals. The revelation left her shocked. Soon after, damaging rumours began circulating about pregnancy and abortion, allegations she insists were entirely false. Yet the gossip was enough to end lucrative brand endorsements and tarnish her public image. “People told me directly that a brand cannot have an ambassador who has had an abortion,” she said.
The controversy escalated on April 9, 2025, when plainclothes police officers arrived at her residence, allegedly under the pretext of verifying her birth certificate. Alam live-streamed the incident on Facebook before being taken into custody and detained at a secret government facility for two days. She alleges she was interrogated, pressured to retract statements, and coerced into deleting the video. Rights groups later described the incident as “psychological torment” used to silence her.
Local media reported that she was charged with fraud, extortion, and “honey-trapping” diplomats. Police claimed she endangered Bangladesh’s diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia. The following day, on April 10, a midnight court issued a 30-day detention order under the Special Powers Act, a controversial law long criticized for its use against dissenters. She was finally released on bail on April 28.
Human rights organizations quickly condemned the move. Amnesty International called her detention a “gross violation” of due process and international norms. A coalition of 27 Bangladeshi women’s rights advocates also wrote to interim leader Muhammad Yunus, demanding her release.
Alam says Al Duhailan abruptly left Bangladesh the same day she was detained, deactivating his phone and social media accounts. Neither the Saudi embassy in Dhaka nor the Saudi foreign ministry has responded to requests for comment.
Since then, Alam’s life has drastically changed. She has moved back in with her parents after giving up her apartment due to harassment. In court, she carries symbolic items such as the Quran and a prayer dress gifted by the envoy, determined to prove nothing illicit occurred between them. “They dragged it to such an extent that it made me an object of shame for the entire society,” she said. “No matter how much I try to stay positive, this is an obstruction to my work.”
Nearly a year later, Alam admits she is still struggling to rebuild her life and career. The once-celebrated pageant winner says she feels trapped by a system determined to protect powerful figures at her expense. “I know there is no legal way to fight him because the whole government is plotting to save him,” she said.
Her case has become emblematic of the risks faced by women who challenge authority in Bangladesh. What began as a glamorous connection with a powerful diplomat has turned into a nightmare of legal battles, public shaming, and shattered dreams. For Alam, the struggle now is not just about reclaiming her reputation but also about surviving in a society that has turned against her.
