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Retired Army Officers Debashish, Gulshan Ara Sent to Jail in Sedition Case
Published : Friday, 16 October, 2026 at 7:32 PM
Court Correspondent
A Dhaka court on Friday sent retired Lieutenant Colonel Debashish Kumar Barua and retired Lieutenant Gulshan Ara to jail after the completion of their four-day remand in a case filed under the sedition, anti-terrorism and cyber security laws.
Metropolitan Magistrate Mehedi Hasan passed the order following a plea by the investigation officer to keep the two accused in custody. Abu Bakkar Siddique, an assistant sub-inspector of the prosecution department, confirmed the development.
Detectives arrested the two retired military officers from separate locations in Dhaka on Sunday night. Police subsequently filed the case through Ali Akbar, an inspector of the Detective Branch’s Pallabi zonal team.
On Monday, the court granted four days of remand against a seven-day request. After the remand period ended, Inspector Sheikh Bashir Ahmed of the DB’s Cyber and Special Crime (South) division produced the accused before the court and sought their detention in jail.
Their lawyer, Md Ataur Rahman Khan Ruku and Md Mashiur Rahman, sought bail, while state prosecutor Kawsar Ahmed opposed the petitions. The court rejected the bail pleas and ordered their detention.
Allegations in the case
According to the case statement, the accused allegedly operated from their residences and were involved with WhatsApp groups named "Bangladesh Awami League Supporters Alpha" and "BBM Transparency". The complaint alleges that the groups collected funds and produced and circulated digital content inciting violence and opposing the government.
The complaint further alleges that the accused maintained links with retired army officers and platforms named "Unity Care and Public Parliament", as well as former army chief Aziz and former home minister and fugitive senior political leaders. It accuses them of conspiring to rehabilitate the Awami League and engage in activities described by investigators as offences against the state.
The case statement also alleges that the accused used a page named "Kalajkal.com" and Facebook accounts to disseminate content intended to incite violence and destabilise the country.
It further states that Gulshan Ara joined more than 150 retired army officers in visiting Ganabhaban on November 27, 2018, ahead of the national election, where they publicly expressed solidarity with and allegiance to then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
The complaint also alleges that the accused and 101 associates established a committee named "Sena Parishad" to spread hostility among different social groups, provoke disorder and undermine national sovereignty.
The allegations are part of the case record and have not been established as facts in court.
M. A. L
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Online: email: [email protected] 41053014; 01550707297 Advertisement: 01550707296
