Dhaka: Nagarik Oikya convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna was reportedly held from a house in capital’s Banani early Tuesday.

Mahmudur Rahman Manna’s wife Meher Nigar and his niece Shahanama Sharmin confirmed this to NTV.

Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Branch joint commissioner Monirul Islam said they did not have any information in this connection.

Sharmin said, ‘Manna was her Banani house on Tuesday night. Detective Branch entered the house at about 3:00am and they picked up him at about 3:30am.

He was taken to DB headquarters.

Manna’s wife claimed he was detained for political reason.

Mahmudur Rahman Manna’s two phone conversations were published in media on Sunday.  

Of the two conversations, one was with Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader and former Dhaka city mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka, now in the US for treatment.

They talked on issues, including the current political condition, ongoing blockades, civil society initiatives and Nagorik Oikya's strategies and activities.

Manna, a two-time VP of Dhaka University Central Students Union (DUCSU) in his youth, advised Khoka to capture some DU dormitories to put pressure on the government.

The other call was to an unidentified person allegedly staying in Australia. Manna was asked by the man whether he would like to talk with army officials for a “changeover in the country”.

For both the calls, he used Viber, an application for free calls and messages. It could not be known how and by whom the conversations got leaked.