Ex-Major Sadik shown arrested again, release delayed

The release of former army major Md Sadikul Haque Sadik has been delayed after a Dhaka court showed him arrested in another Anti-Terrorism Act case on Tuesday (August 18).

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Arifur Rahman granted a police plea to show Sadik arrested in the case filed with Khilkhet Police Station.

Khilkhet Police sub-inspector Md Shahjalal had filed the plea on Sunday. Later, the court had fixed Tuesday for hearing the plea in Sadik’s presence, prosecution sources said.

Sadik, who was dismissed from the army, was sentenced to three months in prison by a military court on October 29, 2024. He was later shown arrested in another Anti-Terrorism Act case filed with Vatara Police Station and has remained in jail since then.

On Monday, a court refused to show him arrested in a case over the burning of a private car in Bashundhara, after examining a written explanation submitted by the investigation officer.

During the hearing, Sadik’s lawyer H M Al-Amin said his client was already in jail when the incident occurred. He questioned how Sadik could have been involved in burning the car while in custody.

The lawyer had said there was no other detention order against his client and therefore there was no legal obstacle to his release.

However, Sadik was subsequently shown arrested in the Khilkhet case, preventing his release.

According to the case statement, police detained several people dismissed from the army around 2:00 PM on May 17 last year while they were allegedly engaged in subversive activities near Khilkhet Bazar.

The case statement said they allegedly used a social media platform called “Shohojoddha” to make provocative statements against the Bangladesh Army after being dismissed from service.

The statements were allegedly aimed at tarnishing the image and reputation of the army and disrupting security at Dhaka Cantonment.

Azizul Islam of the Headquarters Logistics Area of Dhaka Cantonment filed the case with Khilkhet Police Station the following day.

MAL/ SKS