Mahiya Mahi arrested in DSA case; sent to jail for 'defaming police'

A Gazipur court on Saturday (March 18) sent popular film actor Mahiya Mahi to jail, hours after she was arrested from Dhaka airport in connection with a case filed under the Digital Security Act (DSA).

Gazipur Metropolitan Magistrate Iqbal Hossain passed the order when police produced her before the court seeking a seven-day remand in the case. The court, at the time, rejected the remand request.

Gazipur Metropolitan Police (GMP) made the arrest from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) area at around 11:45pm today on charges of "defaming police" after going live on Facebook.  The actor had landed in Dhaka on a Biman flight from Saudi Arabia after performing Umrah. 

Meanwhile, her husband, Gazipur-based Awami League leader Rakib Sarkar, has been sued in the same case. According to sources, he is currently on the run.

GMP Commissioner Molla Nazrul Islam, while addressing the press following the arrest, said, "The actor will be presented to the court today. We will seek remand for interrogation."

Earlier, Rokon Mia, sub-inspector of Bason police station, filed a case under DSA against Mahiya Mahi and her husband Rakib Sarkaron Friday (17 March) night on charges of defaming the police during a Facebook live session.

Whereas, Ismail Hossain, a businessman, filed the other case with Bason Police Station against 28 people including the couple on charges of assaulting, vandalism and forcibly occupying the land.

Abu Torab Mohammad Shamsuddin, GMP deputy commissioner, said police filed the case against the couple for "tarnishing the image of police, including GMP Commissioner Molla Nazrul Islam", after going live on Facebook.

According to the case statement, Mahiya Mahi, from her Facebook page, went live early Friday -- making allegations against police.

During the live session, she said Ismail Hossain and Mamun Sarkar, through their people, carried out an attack on a showroom, Sony Raj Car Palace, on the Dhaka-Tangail highway near Bhawal Badre Alam Government College.

The actress and her husband also alleged that the Gazipur Metropolitan Police commissioner "supported the attackers" after taking bribes.

She also said she feared getting arrested after returning to the country from Makkah. During the Facebook live, Mahiya's husband Rakib alleged that police arrested security guards of the car showroom.

Meanwhile, Ismail Hossain, owner of Rod Binding Factory in the Itahata area of Gazipur city, in his complaint said, he has been running a factory in the area for the past ten years after purchasing land there.

On Friday, some people on behalf of Rakib and Mahiya attacked and vandalized the factory, he said. They also beat up five people at the factory, leaving them injured, while trying to occupy the land, according to the complaint.

Contacted, Molla Nazrul, Commissioner of Gazipur Metropolitan Police, had said, "Actress Mahiya brought allegations against police on Facebook and tried to draw sympathy through lies."