Google Alert – Bangladesh Army
A Dhaka court yesterday placed the wife of an army major on a five-day remand in a case over a “secret meeting” allegedly involving members of the Awami League and its banned student wing Chhatra League.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Sefatullah passed the order after Detective Branch Inspector Md Zehad Hossain, also the investigation officer, produced Sumaiya Zafrin before the court with a seven-day remand plea.
According to the remand petition, Sumaiya, wife of Major Sadikul Haque, was directly involved in a meeting held on July 8 at a convention centre near the capital’s Bashundhara residential area.
The gathering, which reportedly lasted from 10:00am to 6:00pm, was attended by 300 to 400 people, including activists of Chhatra League and Awami League, as well as retired government employees.
Sumaiya and her husband were also present, it added.
Participants allegedly chanted anti-government slogans and discussed a plan to mobilise supporters from across the country to occupy the Shahbagh intersection in Dhaka upon instruction from ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, said the investigation officer.
The aim, according to police, was to create instability and spread panic to pave the way for Hasina’s return to power. The remand was sought to extract “vital information” about the alleged plan, the petition added.
Sumaiya, who was detained from her residence in Mirpur DOHS on Wednesday evening, denied all allegations and claimed she had been falsely implicated.
In her bail prayer, the defence argued that the accused was not involved in the incident and had left the venue shortly after arriving and noticing a large crowd. Her counsel sought both bail and cancellation of the remand prayer.
After hearing both sides, the magistrate rejected the bail plea and granted the five-day remand.
Major Sadikul is currently in military custody over alleged involvement in the same incident.
At least 28 people have so far been arrested in the case filed with Bhatara Police Station on July 13 over what police described as a “secret training session”.