A Dhaka court has granted police two days to interrogate controversial Islamic orator Mufti Kazi Md Ibrahim over allegations of spreading misinformation regarding the COVID-19 vaccine and against the Bangladesh government and neighbouring countries.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Abu Sufian Md Noman made the decision on Wednesday, reports bdnews24.com.
Ibrahim was brought to court by the Detective Branch of police, who requested a 10-day remand to question him in a Digital Security Act case.
DB Cyber Unit Deputy Inspector Md Hasanuzzaman represented the law enforcers, while Abdur Razzak and other lawyers stood for Ibrahim’s defence.
Ibrahim was picked up by detective police from his home on Zakir Hossain Road in Mohammadpur on Tuesday morning. He has since been accused in two cases, one under the Digital Security Act and the other for fraud and embezzlement at Mohammadpur Police Station.
The fraud case was filed by an individual named ZM Rana, while the Digital Security Act case was filed by the Detective Branch, Mohammadpur Police Station chief Abdul Latif said.
The case filed by Rana accuses Ibrahim of embezzlement, extortion and fraud involving a school.
The Digital Security Act case was filed over incendiary comments made by Ibrahim on social media.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Shafiqul Islam said the so-called preacher, who caught the attention of netizens for his controversial remarks on various issues, including the coronavirus vaccine, had been brought in for questioning.
Ibrahim recently made "very aggressive" and "unscientific" comments on a number of issues, including the vaccine, said Shafiqul.
His claims that the coronavirus vaccine was causing 'women to grow beards’ and 'men's voices to change' made waves on social media.
In one of his lectures, he also set out a "mathematical formula" for the development of the coronavirus vaccine. In an interview with BBC Bangla earlier this year, he said that the 'formula' for the vaccine came to an expatriate in a 'dream' and he passed it on to Ibrahim.