Derogatory remarks about PM: Sifat Abdullah's bail denied

The bail plea was rejected after a hearing in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Advocate Rashedul Islam Rabbi represented Sifat Abdullah during the hearing. After the court rejected the plea, the lawyer expressed disappointment, saying they had sought bail for his client.

Rabbi said the case statement does not mention Sifat’s remarks concerning the electricity and fuel crisis or the alleged abusive comments about the prime minister--issues that brought him into public attention. 

He also claimed that lawyers representing the state did not raise the matter during the hearing.

The defence lawyer further claimed that Sifat had been shown arrested in a case filed on June 4, despite having no connection with it. He alleged that Sifat was being politically harassed.

On the other hand, Metropolitan Court Public Prosecutor Advocate Siddiqur Rahman described Sifat as an 'accomplice of fascism' and said the case against him was filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act. He said lawyers for Sifat had sought bail on Monday, but the court rejected the petition after hearing both sides.

The PP also alleged that Sifat had worked as an agenda-driven supporter of the ousted Awami League government and had continued such activities after August 5.

Police arrested Sifat from his residence in Gazipur around 8:30PM on Thursday (September 3). Gacha police of Gazipur Metropolitan Police took him to the police station around 9pm.

Sifat is a student of Adamjee Cantonment College in Dhaka. He was later shown arrested in an old case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act and sent to jail through a court order on Friday (September 4).