BATTLEFORD — A former Town of Battleford chief administrative officer has been arrested in Bangladesh in connection with the 2023 death of his wife, according to police information reported by a Bangladeshi newspaper.
According to the Bangladeshi newspaper The Business Standard, police in Bangladesh say Ashraful Alam Suman, 51, also known in Saskatchewan as Ashraful Alam, was detained by immigration authorities at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on Feb. 12 when he arrived on a flight from Canada.
Immigration police held Alam on an outstanding arrest warrant in connection with the death of his wife, Afroza Begum, a former Estevan resident, in Bangladesh nearly three years earlier, according to the newspaper.
Officer-in-charge Shariful Islam of the Dakshinkhan Police Station told the newspaper that immigration authorities detained Alam at the airport and notified local police, who then formally arrested him and brought him before the court.
Alam is currently being held at Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj, the newspaper reported.
Begum, 40, was reported missing from her in-laws’ home in the Naddapara area of Dakshinkhan on May 27, 2023. Police later recovered her body on May 31 of that year after it was discovered buried within the property, according to the Bangladeshi news report.
At the time of Begum’s death, Bangladeshi media reported that police suspected her husband in the killing and believed he had left the country.
Earlier reporting by SaskToday found that Ashraful Alam had worked in Saskatchewan for several years.
Having previously worked in Buffalo Narrows, he most recently served as chief administrative officer for the Town of Battleford before being dismissed from the position in June 2023 after an extended unapproved absence.
At the time, Battleford town council said it had been told Alam had travelled to the United Arab Emirates for a family emergency and had briefly continued attending meetings virtually before contact ceased.
Council said the decision to terminate his employment was made so the municipality could continue operating with a certified chief administrative officer.
Following Begum’s death in 2023, Saskatchewan RCMP told SaskToday they were aware of the matter and that Canadian police generally assist foreign law enforcement agencies when requested in locating individuals connected to investigations.
Bangladesh does not appear on Canada’s list of countries with a bilateral extradition treaty.
None of the allegations against Alam have been tested in a Canadian court.
