Ex-MP Akhtaruzzaman sent to jail in anti-terrorism case; remand hearing Monday

A Dhaka court today (6 August) sent the former Member of Parliament for Gazipur-5 Akhtaruzzaman following his arrest in an anti-terrorism case filed with Tejgaon Industrial Area Police Station in Dhaka.

The court also fixed Monday (10 August) to hear a police plea seeking seven days' remand in the case.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Ripon Hossain passed the orders after a hearing this afternoon, confirmed Arif Reza, sub-inspector of the Dhaka prosecution department.

He said the remand hearing could not be held as the original case documents were unavailable. The court therefore sent Akhtaruzzaman to jail and fixed 10 August for the hearing, he added.

Detective Branch of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DB) arrested Akhtaruzzaman from a residence in Gulshan on the night of 5 August.

The investigation officer, Inspector Md Masudur Rahman of the Tejgaon Zonal Team, produced the accused before the court and sought a seven-day remand.

According to the remand petition, preliminary questioning and available evidence indicate the accused's involvement in the case. Investigators said custodial interrogation is necessary to identify and arrest other absconding suspects, gather information about alleged anti-state activities and trace the source of improvised explosive devices allegedly linked to the case.

The case statement reads that 35-40 leaders and activists of the now banned Awami League and Bangladesh Chhatra League, including Nibas Majumdar, brought out a procession near Mohakhali Bus Terminal in the Tejgaon Industrial Area on the morning of 18 June.

The group allegedly chanted anti-government slogans and carried out explosions using cocktails, creating panic among the public, as well as engaging in other alleged anti-state activities.

Police from Tejgaon Industrial Area Police Station filed the case over the incident.