A Dhaka court on Tuesday placed former Chittagong-3 MP Mahfuzur Rahman Mita on six-day remand in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act with Tejgaon Industrial Area Police Station.
His driver, Golam Mawla Selim, was also placed on five-day remand in the same case.
Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Joshita Islam passed the orders following separate remand petitions filed by the investigation officer. Prosecution Sub-Inspector Arif Reza confirmed the orders.
Mita was arrested around 1:30am on Tuesday from a house in Gulshan-2, according to DB Gulshan Division Deputy Commissioner AFM Anwar Hossain Khan. His driver Selim was also arrested at the time.
The investigation officer and Inspector Md Masudur Rahman of the Tejgaon Zonal Team produced the two accused before the court and sought 10 days’ remand for each.
The remand petition said preliminary interrogation had revealed information about their alleged involvement in the case.
Further questioning was needed to identify fugitive associates and determine their whereabouts, uncover plans for alleged anti-state activities and trace the source of the cocktail bombs, among other information.
Mita’s lawyer, Abdullah Al Mamun, sought bail and cancellation of the remand plea, arguing that his client was not involved in the incident and was unwell. He also questioned the justification for a 10-day remand.
Dhaka Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Omar Faruq Faruqi argued in favour of the remand, saying four other accused had already been interrogated and information about Mita’s alleged involvement had emerged.
He further claimed that Mita faced three cases in Chittagong and that investigators had found information linking him to recent processions, bus arson and cocktail explosions in Dhaka.
The court subsequently granted six days’ remand for Mita and five days for his driver Selim.
Mita’s wife, two sons, a daughter, other relatives and supporters were present in court during the hearing.
According to the FIR, around 35–40 leaders and activists of the banned Awami League and its student wing, Chhatra League, including Nibash Majumder, brought out a procession near the Mohakhali Bus Terminal in the Tejgaon Industrial Area on the morning of June 18.
The case alleges that anti-government slogans were chanted during the procession and cocktails were exploded, creating panic among the public. Police subsequently filed the case under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
