Former Cantonment OC Rakibul remanded for five days

A court has granted a five-day remand for former Officer-in-Charge (OC) of the capital's Cantonment Police Station, Rakibul Hasan, in a sedition case.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Didarul Alam issued the order after a hearing on Thursday night. Earlier, the investigating officer of the case, Inspector A B M Abdullah Khaled Sakib of Cantonment Police Station, applied for a seven-day remand for Rakibul.

Rakibul's lawyer, Morshed Hossain Shahin, sought cancellation of the remand and applied for bail. He claimed that Rakibul was interrogated at the DB office for seven days before his arrest, and that the law provides for producing him in court within 24 hours. He also claimed the allegations brought against him are exaggerated and motivated.

On the other hand, the investigating officer said in the remand application that preliminary investigation has found evidence of Rakibul's involvement in the incident of the case. The application stated that he and unnamed others, in collusion with each other, had undermined the stability of the state, conspired to topple the government, and expressed contempt, hostility and hatred towards senior government officials and law enforcement agencies.

Recently, an audio in Rakibul's name spread on social media. Reports said a conversation could be heard in it about former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's return to the country, the police, the administration, the army and bribery in police postings, among other matters. However, it could not be confirmed whether the audio was actually Rakibul's.

After the audio spread, the DMP formed a three-member investigation committee. Rakibul was later withdrawn from Cantonment Police Station and interrogated at the DB office.

Subsequently, Inspector Subrata Debnath of Cantonment Police Station filed a sedition case against him. Rakibul was shown arrested in that case on Thursday afternoon. The report mentioned that he was wearing a helmet on his head, a bulletproof jacket on his chest and handcuffs on his hands when produced in court.