6-day remand for former MP Mita in anti-terrorism case

A court has granted remand for former Member of Parliament for Chattogram-3 constituency, Mahfuzur Rahman Mita, and his driver Golam Maula Selim in a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act. Mita has been granted a six-day remand and Selim a five-day remand.

Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Joshita Islam gave the order on Tuesday, September 22, after hearing the investigating officer's application. Sub-Inspector Arif Reza of the prosecution division confirmed the remand.

Earlier, Mita was arrested from a house in Gulshan-2 area of the capital around 1:30am on Monday night. At the same time, his driver Selim was also arrested by the Detective Police (DB). DB Gulshan division Deputy Commissioner A.F.M. Anwar Hossain Khan conveyed this information.

On Tuesday, police produced Mita in court and sought a 10-day remand. Inspector Md Masudur Rahman of the Tejgaon Zonal Team, the investigating officer of the case, said in the application that preliminary interrogation revealed information about the accused's involvement in the incident of the case. He said further interrogation is needed to extract important information, including the identity and location of absconding associates, plans for anti-state activities and the source of the cocktail bombs.

Opposing the remand, Mita's lawyer Abdullah Al Mamun filed a bail application in court. He claimed his client is not involved in the incident. He also informed the court that the former MP is unwell. On the other hand, Dhaka Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Omar Faruk Faruki argued in favour of the remand on behalf of the state. He said four accused arrested in the case have already been interrogated, and the information they provided revealed Mita's involvement.

The state also said there are three cases against Mita in Chattogram. It was claimed in court that information about his involvement in recent processions, bus burnings and cocktail explosions in Dhaka has also been found. After hearing both sides, the court granted a six-day remand for Mita and a five-day remand for his driver Selim.

The First Information Report (FIR) of the case stated that on the morning of June 18, 35 to 40 leaders and activists of the banned Awami League and Chhatra League, including Nibas Mazumder, brought out a procession in the area adjacent to Mahakhali Bus Terminal under Tejgaon Industrial Area Police Station. Police alleged that anti-government slogans were raised from that procession and cocktails were exploded, creating panic. Police later filed a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act over the incident. Mita's wife, two sons, a daughter, along with relatives and supporters, were present in court during the hearing.