A Dhaka court on Thursday granted a seven-day remand for former joint secretary Syed Jaglul Pasha, who was arrested over allegations of preparing forged documents, giving false testimony in court and influencing judicial proceedings in the Zia Orphanage Trust case involving former prime minister Khaleda Zia.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Didarul Alam passed the order after a hearing. The Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police had sought a 10-day remand for interrogation.
According to the DB’s remand plea, Pasha was arrested around 8:50pm on Tuesday from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport area. A DB team, which had been monitoring him, detained him after he returned to Dhaka from Cox’s Bazar.
During the hearing, Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Faruk Hossain Faruqi said Pasha had given false testimony against Khaleda Zia.
He also alleged that Pasha was involved in placing sand-laden trucks in front of the BNP central office in Gulshan in 2013 to create an obstruction and prevent the “March for Democracy” programme.
The public prosecutor further alleged that while serving as a joint secretary at the Ministry of Public Administration, Pasha played a role in preparing forged documents in cases filed against Khaleda Zia with the assistance of law enforcement agencies.
Opposing the remand plea, defence lawyer Abul Kalam Azad said Pasha had never been involved in politics.
“I have never done politics. I was not involved in politics during my service period, student life or after retirement. I was not present at the incident being referred to. I have no connection with this case. I am an elderly person,” he told the court.
The remand plea also alleged that Pasha was involved in a conspiracy against the state, obstructing judicial proceedings and spreading confusion among the public in collusion with other accused.
The DB said questioning him in custody could reveal important information about the planners of the alleged incidents, their associates, the source of the forged documents, financial transactions and the whereabouts of absconding accused.
Police also said his interrogation was necessary to recover forged documents, evidence and other case materials.
Earlier, DB Additional Commissioner Mohammad Shafiqul Islam said several cases had been filed against Pasha at different police stations across the country.
According to police records, he is an accused in a special powers act case filed with Gulshan Police Station, the Parvez murder case filed with Jatrabari Police Station, a case filed with Shibganj Police Station in Chapainawabganj and the Altaf Hossain murder case filed with Daulatpur Police Station in Kushtia, among others.
Police also said Pasha was linked to a case filed over allegations of placing sand-laden trucks in front of the BNP central office in Gulshan in 2013 to obstruct Khaleda Zia’s movement.
