The arrest, handcuffing and remand of Jamaat leader and former lawmaker Akhtaruzzaman following an airport altercation have drawn questions from rights activists and lawyers.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Al Biruni Mir on Saturday placed him on one-day remand in a case filed over allegations of creating disorder at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, obstructing government officials and assaulting a security official.
Airport Police Station Sub-Inspector Majedul Islam had sought five days’ remand.
Akhtaruzzaman was brought to court in a prison van a day after his arrest, wearing a helmet and handcuffs.
Before stepping out of the van, he removed the helmet and threw it away.
“I do not accept the helmet. I do not accept the government’s illegal order,” he said.
The way he was produced in court and the decision to place him on remand have since come under scrutiny, although critics also said his conduct at the airport had been inappropriate.
Golam Rahman Bhuiyan, chairman of the Manobadhikar O Samaj Unnayan Sangstha, told TIMES that the circumstances did not justify remand.
“Although the way Akhtaruzzaman expressed his anger was not appropriate, no situation had arisen that warranted remanding him,” he said.
Bhuiyan said that if no proper and effective action was taken against those responsible for airport mismanagement while only the protesting citizen was sued and remanded, it would raise human rights concerns.
Supreme Court lawyer Saiful Islam Ujjal also said Akhtaruzzaman’s behaviour was inappropriate, but questioned the basis for custodial interrogation.
He said a case could be filed over the allegation of threats, but there were no grounds for remand in this instance.
“What are they trying to recover by taking him on remand?” he said. “This may be an overzealous role by the police that could embarrass the government.”
Ujjal also challenged the reasoning in the police remand application.
“If an attempt is being made to find out whether any vested quarter was behind damaging the country’s image through mismanagement at the airport, then the employees responsible for that mismanagement should also be questioned,” he said.
SC lawyer Salah Uddin Rigan also questioned the assault allegation.
He said video footage of the airport incident had circulated on social media, but no scuffle was visible.
He questioned how an allegation under Section 323 of the Penal Code could therefore have been brought.
According to Rigan, the action sends an intimidating message to ordinary people who may wish to protest against wrongdoing.
Police, however, said Akhtaruzzaman needed to be questioned over allegations of obstructing government employees from performing their duties, issuing threats and disrupting security at a sensitive installation.
The remand application also said investigators needed to determine whether anyone else had instigated the incident.
The case stems from an incident on 1 October over luggage collection and a shortage of trolleys at the airport.
On that day, 34 Jamaat representatives returned to Dhaka from Medina with family members.
Heavy passenger pressure caused a temporary shortage of trolleys and long queues. Several people became agitated over delays in receiving luggage and difficulties in getting Zamzam water.
According to the case, airport Executive Director Group Captain SM Ragib Samad went to the scene to bring the situation under control.
Akhtaruzzaman allegedly misbehaved with him and issued threats.
He was also accused of verbally abusing and physically assaulting on-duty security supervisor Warrant Officer Mohammad Kamal Uddin.
The case further alleges that Akhtaruzzaman threw bottles and containers of Zamzam water from other passengers’ trolleys, causing damage, and behaved improperly with a representative of Biman Bangladesh Airlines.
The confrontation followed Akhtaruzzaman’s criticism of the quality of airport services.
He was later sued, arrested and produced before the court.
Akhtaruzzaman, a freedom fighter, spent much of his political career in the BNP.
He was first elected to parliament from Kishoreganj-2 in 1991 and also won the one-sided election of 15 February 1996.
He lost in 2001 and did not receive a BNP nomination again.
Over statements and activities that went against the party’s position, he was expelled from the BNP five times and reinstated five times.
He had described the July 2024 mass uprising as a conspiracy and said ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina would return with honour.
Shortly before the national election last February, however, he joined Jamaat, a move that surprised many.
