A Dhaka court on Monday placed former reserved-seat lawmaker Ashika Sultana on a fresh three-day remand in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act with Mirpur Model Police Station.
Metropolitan Magistrate Sarah Farzana Haque passed the order after the investigation officer sought a five-day remand for further questioning.
As she was being escorted from the courtroom to jail following the hearing, Ashika chanted, "Joy Bangla, Joy Bangabandhu," and questioned why she was being repeatedly remanded. "What have I done? What is my crime that I am being taken on remand again and again?" she said.
Ashika had been remanded in the same case since Friday. On Monday, Sub-Inspector Al Mamun Hossain, the investigating officer of Mirpur Model Police Station, produced her before the court and sought another five days of remand. The court, later, granted three days.
Defence lawyer Shahab Uddin Raju argued that repeatedly placing a woman on remand in the same case amounted to a violation of human rights. However, the court rejected the plea and approved the fresh remand.
Ashika was arrested from Mirpur-11 in Dhaka at around 11:50PM on Thursday.
According to the case statement, on June 19, a group of 40 to 50 alleged activists of the Awami League and its student wing brought out an anti-government procession near the Bata showroom adjacent to the Apex showroom in Mirpur-1. The participants allegedly fled after noticing the presence of police, leaving behind banners and festoons. Police later claimed that video footage showed the rally was organised to mark the 77th founding anniversary of the Awami League.
Police said Ashika was arrested as a suspected participant in the procession. In the remand petition, investigators claimed that information from confidential sources indicated her involvement in the incident and alleged that she was a financial supporter of the Awami League. They argued that her custodial interrogation was necessary to identify the organisers of the procession and arrest other absconding suspects.
