A court in Mymensingh on Monday sent a woman entrepreneur to jail after denying her bail in a case filed under Section 151 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 following tensions sparked by her Facebook Live videos in Bhaluka.
Sathi Akter, 30, was detained on Sunday night after local BNP leaders and activists surrounded her business establishment, demanding action over remarks she made during the live broadcasts.
Police produced her before the Mymensingh Chief Judicial Magistrate Court on Monday afternoon. Senior Judicial Magistrate Sajedul Islam denied her bail and ordered her to be sent to jail around 3pm.
Mostasinur Rahman, an inspector at the Mymensingh court, confirmed the matter to Dhaka Tribune.
He said Section 151 of the Code of Criminal Procedure allows police to make preventive arrests without a warrant if they suspect someone is planning to commit a cognizable offence.
However, police said they found no anti-government remarks in the videos after reviewing them.
Mohammad Zahidul Islam, officer-in-charge of Bhaluka Model Police Station, said he had reviewed the full videos four times but found no statements against the government or criticism of it.
The OC said several traders at the market approached Sathi after the videos were posted, but she behaved aggressively towards them, creating a tense situation. Police took her into custody to protect her from the agitated crowd before showing her arrested under Section 151 and producing her before the court.
Asked why she was arrested despite police finding no anti-government remarks, Zahidul said Sathi had expressed her personal feelings during the live broadcasts without targeting any individual or the government. He said there was no scope for filing a major case against her on that basis.
Senior lawyer AHM Khalequzzaman, a senior member of the Mymensingh District Bar Association, said Section 151 allows police to arrest someone without a warrant or a magistrate's order to prevent a potential offence.
Sathi, who owns Sathi Beauty Parlour at Khadija Palace Market in the Square Masterbari area of Bhaluka upazila, went live twice from her Facebook account, Sathi Makeover, at around 2pm on Sunday.
In the videos, lasting five minutes and 22 seconds and eight minutes and eight seconds, she expressed anger over a theft at her business establishment. At one point, she was heard saying: “I am now suffering after voting for the BNP government.”
After the videos spread online, local BNP leaders and activists surrounded her business establishment and demanded action, triggering tension in the area. Police took her into custody at around 8:30pm on Sunday.