Ex-AL MP Mita placed on 6-day remand in anti-terrorism case
Police said they also wanted to determine the source of materials allegedly used during the procession and the crude bomb blasts.
A Dhaka court today (22 September) placed former Chattogram-3 MP Mahfuzur Rahman Mita on a six-day remand in an anti-terrorism case filed with Tejgaon Industrial Area Police Station.
His driver, Golam Mawla Selim, was placed on a five-day remand in the same case.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Jashita Islam passed the orders after hearing the remand petitions this afternoon, SI Arif Reza of the prosecution department confirmed.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Police had sought 10 days' remand for both accused, saying their interrogation was necessary to establish their alleged involvement in a protest march and crude bomb blasts and to identify other suspects who remain at large.
Inspector Md Masudur Rahman of the Tejgaon zonal team, who is also investigating the case, said in the remand petition that preliminary interrogation had yielded information suggesting the involvement of Mita and Selim.
Police said they also wanted to determine the source of materials allegedly used during the procession and the crude bomb blasts.
According to the case statement, around 35–40 leaders and activists of the Awami League and Bangladesh Chhatra League, including Nibas Majumdar, brought out a procession near Mohakhali bus terminal under Tejgaon Industrial Area Police Station on the morning of 18 June.
The protesters allegedly chanted anti-government slogans and carried out various activities against the state, including crude bomb blasts that caused panic among the public.
Defence lawyer Abdullah Al Mamun sought cancellation of the remand and bail for both accused, arguing that they were not involved in the incident.
He said Mita had been involved in social welfare activities and argued against a 10-day remand, citing his client's reported health problems.
Dhaka Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Omar Faruk Faruqi opposed the defence plea and supported the remand.
He said four accused had earlier been arrested in the case and that their interrogation had allegedly revealed Mita's involvement, leading to his arrest.
Faruqi also told the court that Mita faces three cases in Chattogram and had been staying in Dhaka without appearing in those cases.
He further alleged that Mita was recently involved in processions, bus fires and crude bomb blasts in Dhaka, as well as making provocative statements aimed at undermining democracy.
Police arrested Mita and his driver from a house in Gulshan-2 late on 21 September and subsequently filed the case over the alleged incident. Separate reports said Mita was arrested at around 1:30am from a house on Road 43 in Gulshan-2 and taken to the DB office on Minto Road.
After hearing both sides, the court granted six days' remand for Mita and five days for Selim.
