Dhaka Tribune journalist Md Saidun Nabi has alleged that he was picked up by police over a case filed by his wife on charges of torture and dowry, despite being out on bail.
He claimed he was harassed by ASI Momin of Sitakunda police station after being picked up from his residence in Chittagong's Sitakunda at around 11pm on Wednesday.
The journalist said he was harassed in various ways on a CNG-powered autorickshaw and his mobile phone was taken away from him when he tried to call his sister.
Saidun Nabi added that after knowing his professional identity, the police officer's behaviour changed, and he was dropped one kilometre from his home.
He said an arrest warrant was issued against him recently. He surrendered before a court on March 29 and applied for bail.
After a hearing, the court granted him bail for six weeks. The next day, on March 30, he submitted the bail copy to Sitakunda police station.
In this regard, ASI Momin said the OC of Sitakunda police station ordered them to arrest Saidun Nabi. “After he was picked up, we came to know he was out on bail. Later we got a phone call from the police station saying they have received the copy of the bail.”
“After that, I respectfully dropped him in the Battal area of Sitakunda,” the officer said.
The plaintiff, Kunsuma Jannatul Shampa, filed the case at the Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court of Kamrun Nahar Rumi on March 21.
According to the case statement, the accused tortured her on two occasions -- on March 15 and 20 -- at his house in the East Syedpur area in Sitakunda over a dowry demand of Tk2 lakh.
However, the plaintiff had been staying at her paternal house since December 26 and had not met her husband since then, the defence lawyer said.
The journalist said he attempted to settle the conflict with his wife and in-laws several times but did not get any cooperation from the other side. He also reported the matter to the local ward councillor of Sitakunda municipality and village heads, but to no avail.
On February 22, Nabi had a legal notice issued through the District Legal Aid Office for arbitration with his wife.
