The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested Sultana Ahmed, general secretary of the Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal, in a Digital Security Act case, just after she arrived back in Dhaka following a rally in Barishal. Police have also received permission to interrogate her in their custody for two days.
Sultana returned to Dhaka on Sunday morning after attending a BNP rally in Barishal. A RAB-3 team detained her as she was travelling home to Gulshan by car from the Sadarghat river port, reports bdnews24.com.
“A Digital Security Act case has been filed against Sultana Ahmed,” said Mohammad Salah Uddin Miah of Paltan Police Station. “She made derogatory comments about the prime minister. An aggrieved citizen filed a case against her.”
The plaintiff in the case is former Gopalganj District Chhatra League President Abdul Hamid.
“RAB-3 arrested and handed her over to the police station. Police have taken her to the court and petitioned for a seven-day remand in that case."
The court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Shahidul Islam later granted police two days to interrogate the BNP activist over the comments.
Senior lawyer Masud Ahmed Talukder represented Sultana at the hearing and petitioned for the remand petition to be scrapped and requested bail.
The lawyer said the Facebook post in question has not been proven to belong to Sultana. In addition, the comments are not inflammatory, he said.
"People all over the country are saying the same thing – will the government arrest them all?" he said.
The lawyer described the case as an example of political repression.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir mentioned the arrest during a discussion at the National Press Club on Sunday afternoon and said: "I condemn this incident and demand that she be released as quickly as possible.”
The ruling party was attempting to silence their opposition by harassing them with false cases, Fakhrul said.
“If she is not freed, the government will have to take full responsibility."
