A Dhaka court on Tuesday placed 15 people on remand for different terms in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act over allegedly planning sabotage and terrorist activities in the capital’s Uttara area.
Fourteen of the accused were placed on three-day remand, while another, Farzana, 21, was remanded for one day.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sefatullah passed the order after a hearing in which the prosecution sought seven days’ remand for all 15 accused.
The accused were placed on three-day remand are Md Yakub Hossain Rajib, 26, Arafat Mia, 22, Rifat Hawladar, 19, Hridoy Hasan, 21, Fahim, 19, Rajib Hossain Rana, 24, Md Firoz, 26, Md Arif, 28, Md Omar Faruk, 21, Abdullah Al Aman, 19, Md Abdullah Al Noman, 21, Md Sohanur Hossain Shaheen, 22, Md Hasib, 19, and Md Hasib Mia, 23.
The defence sought cancellation of the remand petitions and bail for the accused.
Defence lawyer Morshed Hossain Shaheen told reporters that the accused had gathered to cut a cake and arrange a milad mahfil to mark former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s birthday.
“Cutting a cake on someone’s birthday is not a crime,” he said.
State prosecutor Shamsuddoha Sumon, however, alleged that the gathering was not simply for a birthday celebration.
He told the court that the accused had gathered to plan demonstrations and attacks at different locations in Dhaka and alleged that they were preparing for activities covered by the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The prosecution also alleged that the group was planning activities aimed at bringing Sheikh Hasina back to the country.
Police had sought seven days’ remand, saying interrogation was necessary to identify the alleged organisers and masterminds, trace sources of funding and arrest other suspects.
Police detained the 15 accused on Monday afternoon following a tip-off during a raid on the residence of Shaukat Hasanur Rahman Rimon, a former Awami League lawmaker from Barguna-2, on Road 20 in Sector 7 of Uttara West.
On Tuesday, Uttara West Police Station Sub-Inspector Iqbal Hossain produced the accused before the court and sought seven days’ remand.
According to the remand petition, members of the now-banned Chhatra League, Jubo League and Swechchhasebak League were allegedly conspiring to commit offences against the state and preparing for terrorist activities with the aim of destabilising the country and damaging state infrastructure.
Police said they recovered 20 pages containing the names and biographical details of 20 people seeking positions in the Swechchhasebak League’s Kakchira Union Committee in Patharghata upazila of Barguna.
The documents were allegedly recovered from a drawer of a table in one of the rooms during the raid.
Police said the documents contained the logos of the Awami League and Swechchhasebak League, photographs of Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and the slogans “Joy Bangla” and “Joy Bangabandhu”.
A case was subsequently filed with Uttara West Police Station under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Police said the accused needed to be questioned to establish the circumstances of the alleged activities, identify the alleged masterminds and organisers, trace sources of funding and arrest other suspects who remain at large.
