Journalist Anis Alamgir broke down in tears in court on Wednesday after being shown arrested in a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), court sources said, as the Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge’s Court ordered that he be sent to prison.
Judge Md Sabbir Faiz passed the order following an application by the ACC, lawyers said. Anis Alamgir’s lawyers, including Taslima Jahan Popy and Naznin Nahar, were present in court. No bail hearing was held.
While consoling him in the dock, lawyer Naznin Nahar told Anis Alamgir: “You must stay strong. These are false cases. But you have to remain strong—if you are not strong, your family will also fall apart.” He was later taken to the metropolitan detention center.
Naznin Nahar told the court that the address mentioned in the case documents was Anis Alamgir’s previous address and requested permission to correct it.
Anis Alamgir appeared in court wearing a red jacket and remained in the dock from around 11:00 am to 12:30 pm, during which he was intermittently seen speaking with his lawyers. He was brought to court from the metropolitan detention center at around 11:00 am.
Earlier on Sunday, while Anis Alamgir was already in custody under the Anti-Terrorism Act, the ACC applied to show him arrested in a new case. The application was filed by investigating officer and ACC Assistant Director Akhtaruzzaman. A hearing on the matter was scheduled at the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court on Wednesday.
Anis Alamgir currently remains in prison in connection with an Anti-Terrorism Act case filed at Uttara West Police Station, defense lawyer Taslima Jahan Popy said.
On January 15, the ACC filed a case against Anis Alamgir alleging acquisition of assets beyond known sources of income and money laundering. According to the case statement, he possessed immovable assets worth Tk 25 lakh and movable assets worth Tk 3.85 crore, totaling Tk 4.10 crore. Family and other expenditures were calculated at Tk 15.9 lakh, bringing total acquired assets to Tk 4.26 crore.
The ACC said his total lawful income stood at Tk 99.10 lakh, including past savings of Tk 54.46 lakh, income from talk shows and consultancy services of Tk 19.40 lakh, proceeds from plot sales amounting to Tk 22 lakh, and income from savings certificates and bank interest totaling Tk 3.24 lakh. Assets worth Tk 3.26 crore, or about 77% of the total acquired assets, were identified as acquired beyond known sources of income.
Separately, on December 14, a case was filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act at Uttara West Police Station by Arian Ahmed, an organizer of the July Revolutionary Alliance. The accused include Anis Alamgir and Meher Afroz Shaon. On December 15, a court granted a five-day remand for Anis Alamgir. He was sent to prison on December 20 after the remand ended and has remained in custody since then.
According to the allegations, following the anti-discrimination student movement, former prime pinister Sheikh Hasina left the country, after which her followers allegedly went into hiding and engaged in conspiracies to destabilize the country and damage state infrastructure.
The accused are alleged to have operated under the patronage of the Awami League and, since August 5 last year, to have spread propaganda through social media and talk shows aimed at reinstating banned organizations.
The complaint further alleges that on the night of December 14 at around 8:30 pm, the complainant observed from a residence in Sector 11, Road 5, Uttara West, that the accused were using Facebook posts to rehabilitate the Awami League, allegedly inciting members of the banned Chhatra League and Jubo League to engage in criminal activities and conspiracies to destabilize the state and damage national infrastructure.