A Dhaka court has placed Nagorik Oikya Convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna on a 10-day fresh remand in a sedition case filed against him and BNP leader Sadeque Hossain Khoka.
Metropolitan Magistrate Ataul Haque passed the order yesterday, responding to a plea of the investigation officer of the case. Manna was produced before the court on completion of his 10-day remand in another case filed for his alleged involvement in inciting the army to grab power.
Opposing the remand prayer, one of the defence counsels, Md Tuhin Hawlader, told the court: “The police brought the charge against him but there is no reaction from the army on whether such an allegation is valid. He said there was nothing to be gleaned from him.
The sedition case was filed with Gulshan police station on March 5. A general diary was also filed with the police station, accusing the two politicians of conspiring against the state.
Manna, who was in the dock, sought permission to the court to speak for only two minutes. His family members were present at the court.
He claimed he had been tortured during interrogation at the DB headquarters.
“I was picked up on February 23 and later was produced before a police station on February 24 midnight. Where was I kept during that period?”
“I am being interrogated from 9am to 1:30am every day in police custody in the name of remand. On March 4, I needed four-hours of bed rest due to the torture. There is no physician inside the DB office on call. You [the metropolitan magistrate] may ask my physician, Maksumul Haq of Birdem, who can give you details of my physical condition.”
After his statement, the court rejected the petitions seeking his bail in both cases and ordered his remand in police custody.
Manna then said: “I am afraid for my life ... I might experience a cardiac arrest as I cannot tolerate the pressure. If necessary, please interrogate me at the jail gate.”
At that time, his wife Meher Nigar started saying the order had been premeditated.