Ex-NCP leader among 4 sent to jail; 2 remanded again over suspected extremist links
They were arrested in a raid from Jatrabari's Mini Cox's Bazar area on 5 July.
A Dhaka court today (8 July) granted a fresh three-day remand for two suspects arrested over alleged links to an extremist organisation, while sending four others, including an expelled former leader of the National Citizen Party (NCP), to jail.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Ariful Islam passed the order after a hearing.
The two remanded suspects are Shah Amanat Sabir and Hossain Tanim. The four sent to jail are expelled former joint member secretary of the NCP's Gazipur metropolitan unit Ataullah Shah, Junaid, Abidur Rahman and Bayezit.
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The six suspects were produced before the court after completing an earlier three-day remand.
Investigating officer Inspector AB Siddiq of Jatrabari Police Station sought a fresh seven-day remand for Sabir and Tanim and requested that the remaining four be kept in custody.
After hearing both sides, the court granted a further three-day remand for the two suspects and ordered the remaining four to be sent to jail.
During the hearing, defence lawyer Saddam Hossain opposed the remand, arguing that the accused were students of a young age and that police had failed to find any incriminating evidence during the previous remand.
Lawyers representing the other four also sought bail.
Responding to the submissions, the court observed that police had adopted an appropriate approach in the case, noting that the suspects had not been arrested under the Anti-Terrorism Act but were being questioned to ensure a proper investigation.
The judge also asked the two remanded suspects whether they had been assaulted while in police custody. Sabir shook his head, indicating they had not.
According to the remand petition, police received intelligence at around 6am on 5 July that several individuals suspected of involvement in extremist activities had gathered at a sand field beside the Mini Cox's Bazar area under Jatrabari Police Station for training.
Police said officers conducted a raid at around 6:30am, during which the suspects allegedly attempted to flee but were arrested.
Investigators said the detainees failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for why they had assembled there, and preliminary intelligence suggested they might have links to an extremist organisation.
The six suspects were initially placed on a three-day remand by the court on 5 July after police sought seven days for questioning.
