Journalist Azahar Ali shown arrested in anti-terrorism case

The court has ordered to show journalist Azahar Ali arrested in an Anti-Terrorism Act case filed at Shahbagh Police Station in the capital. As a result, he is not being released from prison for the time being even though he was recently granted bail by the High Court in another case.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Jewel Rana issued the order after hearing the application of the court investigation officer on Monday (June 29). Additional Public Prosecutor of Dhaka Metropolitan Court Muhammad Shamsuddoha Suman confirmed the matter.

According to court sources, Ramna Division Detective Police (DB) Inspector Akhtar Morshed applied to show Azhar Ali arrested in an Anti-Terrorism Act case filed at Shahbagh Police Station on June 18. After hearing both sides on Monday, the court granted the application and ordered to show him arrested in that case. Later, an order was issued to send him to prison.

During the hearing, Azhar Ali was presented to the court in a wheelchair. At that time, the judge asked about his physical condition and said, "You were healthy. Have you fallen ill?" Then the hearing began on the application to show arrest.

On behalf of the state, Investigation Officer Akhtar Morshed and Additional Public Prosecutor Muhammad Shamsuddoha Sumon supported the application to show arrest. On the other hand, lawyer Mansur Ripon, on behalf of the accused, demanded that the application be rejected. After the statements of both parties, the court granted the state's application.

Sheikh Aliuzzaman Ujjal, another lawyer of Azahar Ali, said that after being imprisoned for a long time in a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act of Ramna Police Station, his client recently obtained bail from the High Court. However, before the bail order reached the prison, he was shown arrested in a new case. As a result, his release will not be possible until he gets bail in this case.

According to the case documents, on October 10 last year, the DB police arrested Azhar Ali on suspicion of being an associate of Enayet Karim Chowdhury, an American citizen of Bangladeshi origin. However, the family claims that he was taken away from Banasree's house that evening. The next day, he was arrested in a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act of Ramna Police Station.

The statement mentioned that on September 13 last year, the police detained Enayet Karim Chowdhury in a suspicious manner in a Prado car in the Minto Road area. Later, a case was filed against him under the Anti-Terrorism Act. SM Golam Mustafa Azad and the Secretary General of the Jatiya Party's Roshan faction, Kazi Md. Mamunur Rashid, were also accused in that case.

On the other hand, the case of Shahbagh Police Station was filed over a discussion meeting on the Liberation War and the Constitution organized by 'Manch 71' at Dhaka Reporters Unity on August 28 last year. It is alleged that 16 people, including Awami League leader Latif Siddiqui, journalist Panna, Professor Curzon and Abdullahil Qayyum, were arrested at that event and a case was later filed against them.