A Dhaka court on Sunday ordered Abu Bokor Siddique to be sent to prison after he gave a confessional statement regarding an insinuating comment about shooting with a “sniper” posted under a photograph of a bus used during Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s visit to Rajshahi.
The court order was issued following the completion of his seven-day remand.
On Sunday, Investigating Officer Sub-Inspector (SI) Yasin Paik of the Cyber and Special Crime Division of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Detective Branch (DB) produced the accused in court and applied to record his confessional statement.
SI Wajed Ali of the Prosecution Division said that, following the investigating officer’s application, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Jewel Rana recorded the statement and subsequently ordered Abu Bokor Siddique to be sent to prison.
Earlier, on the late night of 21 October, the Special Response Battalion (SRB) detained Abu Bokor Siddique from his residence in the Kachuatail area under Paba Police Station in Rajshahi. He was subsequently shown arrested in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
On 23 October, he was sent to prison through the court, and on 25 October, the court granted a seven-day remand for his interrogation.
According to the case allegations, prime minister arrived at Shah Makhdum Airport in Rajshahi on 20 October aboard a military aircraft. From the airport, he entered the city riding a bus belonging to Rajshahi University of Engineering & Technology (RUET).
As he travelled, the prime minister responded to greetings from ordinary citizens and party leaders and activists standing on both sides of the road by waving his hands. Using the same bus, he later attended a rally organised at the historic Madrasa Maidan and, after visiting a temple on Durga Puja, returned to the airport on the same bus.
Meanwhile, a Facebook page named ‘The Beauty of Rajshahi’ posted a photograph of the bus used during the prime minister’s visit with the caption: “I understand everything, but where is our prime minister’s red-and-green bulletproof bus in Rajshahi, why on a RUET bus? Do you know, people of Rajshahi?”
In the comment section of that post, an account named ‘MD Abu Bokor Siddique’ wrote: “Ah! There was a big opportunity. Only a sniper was missing.”
The comment spread rapidly across social media, triggering widespread discussion and criticism.
Following the incident, SI Manik Hossain of the DB Cyber and Special Crime (North) Division filed the case as plaintiff at Ramna Police Station in the capital under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
