Gazipur court rejects bail for Sifat in anti-terrorism case

A Gazipur court has rejected bail for Sifat Abdullah, who was arrested after allegedly making derogatory remarks about the prime minister. Gazipur Metropolitan Magistrate Court-5 Judge Rakibul Islam issued the order around noon after hearing the petition.

Sifat’s lawyers, Ali Naser Khan, Rashedul Islam Robi and Asadullah Badal, appeared in court. Rashedul Islam said the remarks concerning the electricity and energy crisis, including the alleged abusive language that brought Sifat into public attention, did not appear in the first information report. "The state lawyers also did not raise the issue during the hearing," he said.

Rashedul also claimed that authorities had shown Sifat arrested in a June 4 case despite his having no connection to it, and alleged that he was facing political harassment. Ali Naser, a central joint chief organiser of the National Citizen Party, confirmed the court decision and said Sifat was an active party member.

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The state lawyers also did not raise the issue during the hearing.

Ali Naser said Sifat had taken part in the anti-fascist movement and belonged to Inqilab Mancha. "He is being politically harassed by being labelled in different ways. This is part of a new form of fascism," he alleged.

According to police sources, officers from Gacha Police Station detained Sifat at his Gazipur residence at about 8:30 p.m. on Sept. 3 and took him to the station roughly 30 minutes later. He was subsequently shown arrested in the older Anti-Terrorism Act case and sent to jail through the court around noon on Sept. 4. Sifat is a student at Adamjee Cantonment College in Dhaka.

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He is being politically harassed by being labelled in different ways. This is part of a new form of fascism.