Journalist Anis Alamgir has been sent to jail following the completion of his remand in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act at Uttara West Police Station in Dhaka.
The order was passed on Saturday by Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Hasan Shahadat.
The information was confirmed by SI Shamim Hossain of the prosecution department.
After a five-day remand, the case’s investigating officer, Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Inspector Kazi Shahnewaz, produced Anis Alamgir before the court and sought an order to keep him in jail.
Defence lawyers, including Najnin Nahar, applied for jail division facilities for the journalist. After the hearing, the court directed the authorities to take action in accordance with jail rules.
Earlier, a team from the Detective Branch picked up Anis Alamgir after 8pm on December 14 on the pretext of questioning and took him to the DB office.
Later that night, Arian Ahmed, a member of an organisation named the “July Revolutionary Alliance,” filed a case against Anis Alamgir and three others, alleging conspiracy to destabilise the state and incitement of banned organizations.
The other accused are actress Meher Afroz Shaon, model Maria Kispotta, and presenter Imtu Ratish Imtiaz. The following day, the court granted a five-day remand for Anis Alamgir.
According to the remand application, Anis Alamgir was interrogated while in police custody, during which investigators claimed to have obtained important information related to the case. The information is currently being verified, and if found credible, investigators may seek further remand. In the meantime, the investigating officer requested that he be kept in jail.
The case statement alleges that following the anti-discrimination student movement, Sheikh Hasina left the country, but her followers remained and allegedly conspired to destabilise the state and damage state infrastructure. The accused are said to have previously operated under the patronage of the Awami League and, since August 5 last year, to have spread propaganda on social media and talk shows to revive banned organisations.
It further claims that on the night of December 14, Arian Ahmed saw Facebook posts allegedly made by the accused while he was at a house in Sector 11 of the Uttara West Police Station area.
The posts allegedly sought to rehabilitate the Awami League and, according to the complaint, inspired activists of the banned Chhatra League and Jubo League to engage in anti-state and terrorist activities aimed at destabilising the country and damaging state infrastructure.