15 remanded over Gulshan cocktail blasts

A Dhaka court on Wednesday remanded 15 people, including Mohammad Saiful Islam, father of social media personality S0ynthia Islam Tisha and father-in-law of Khandaker Mushtaq Ahmed, for three days in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act over cocktail explosions in Gulshan.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Jewel Rana passed the order after a hearing. Earlier, Gulshan Police Station Sub-Inspector Mohammad Ruhul Amin, also the investigation officer, sought seven days remand for the accused.

Police alleged that the accused, affiliated with the banned Awami League and its front organisations, gathered in Gulshan on September 11 and exploded cocktails to create panic and carry out anti-government activities. They allegedly threw cocktails at police when officers tried to disperse them. Police later fired two rounds of rubber bullets, and five cocktails were recovered from the scene.

The prosecution sought remand to identify the alleged masterminds, financiers and other suspects, while defence lawyers opposed the plea.

The case, filed by Sub-Inspector Md Mahbub Hossain, names 118 people and 80–100 unidentified persons. 

M. A. L/ sks