Sifat Abdullah denied bail

A Gazipur court on Monday denied bail to Sifat Abdullah, who was arrested under the Anti-Terrorism Act after allegedly making offensive remarks about the prime minister over a disputed electricity bill.

Gazipur Metropolitan Magistrate Court-5 Judge Rakibul Islam passed the order around noon after a hearing on the case.

Defence lawyer Advocate Rashedul Islam Rabi said they had sought bail for Sifat, but the court rejected the petition.

He claimed that the allegations over Sifat’s remarks about electricity and the fuel crisis were not mentioned in the first information report and were not raised by the prosecution during the hearing. He also alleged that Sifat had been shown arrested in an older case filed on June 4, with which he had no connection, describing the case as politically motivated harassment.

Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Advocate Siddiqir Rahman, however, said Sifat was an associate of the former Awami League government and had been working for its interests.

Sifat, a student of Adamjee Cantonment College, was detained from his home in Gazipur by police of Gachha police station around 8:30pm on September 3. He was taken to the police station about half an hour later.

He was sent to jail through the court on September 4 after being shown arrested in an old case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

sks