Former Narayanganj City Corporation Mayor Selina Hayat Ivy appeared before a Narayanganj court on Tuesday in a case over an alleged attack on a police convoy and claimed she was innocent.
She appeared before the court of Narayanganj Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Nurul Huda Chowdhury around 11am.
Her lawyer, Advocate Awlad Hossain, said Ivy appeared as part of the court procedure for the scheduled acceptance of the chargesheet in the case.
After the hearing, Ivy told reporters that she was innocent and questioned the allegations brought against her.
“Despite being innocent, I have been made an accused. I have always raised my voice in Narayanganj. I have consistently protested against killings, oppression and injustice. And today, am I the criminal? Allah will judge this, and the people of Narayanganj will see the truth,” she said.
Ivy, who served as mayor for three consecutive terms and was a former senior vice-president of the Narayanganj district Awami League, later left for her residence in Deobhog.
The case was filed by Sadar Model Police Station following an incident on the day of Ivy’s arrest, when a law enforcement convoy came under attack while she was being taken to the office of the District Superintendent of Police.
Advocate Awlad Hossain told the court that Ivy was physically unwell after spending 391 days in custody.
Following an application from her lawyers, the court exempted her from appearing in person until the trial proceedings formally begin.
Ivy was arrested from her residence on the morning of 9 May last year during the Anti-Discrimination Movement in connection with a murder case.
She was later shown arrested in 12 cases involving allegations of murder and attempted murder.
After spending more than a year at Kashimpur Central Women’s Jail in Gazipur, Ivy was released on bail on 4 June.
A large number of Ivy’s supporters and activists gathered on the court premises from early morning, prompting authorities to deploy additional law enforcement personnel to maintain order.
