A Dhaka court on Friday placed 14 individuals on a five-day remand in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act over a protest demanding the introduction of a 20% “Secretariat Allowance”.
Metropolitan Magistrate Jamshed Alam granted the remand after hearing the petition submitted by the investigation officer, who had sought seven days for each accused. The court also directed the authorities to provide medical treatment to several ailing detainees before interrogation.
The detainees include Badiul Kabir, president of the Bangladesh Secretariat Officers and Employees United Council; vice-presidents Mohammad Shahin Golam Rabbani and Nazrul Islam; publicity secretary Mizanur Rahman Suman; and several officials and supporting staff from the Health, Public Administration, Cabinet and Finance ministries.
According to the remand petition, the accused defied Section 144 imposed by the DMP around the Secretariat and allegedly confined the Finance Adviser during Thursday’s demonstration.
Investigators claimed the protest aimed to undermine the government’s image and determine whether the accused had links with “fugitive Awami League activists” seeking to disrupt the upcoming 13th national election.
Defence lawyers argued that most of the detainees had merely gone to the police station to visit colleagues who were earlier arrested and were then detained themselves. They sought cancellation of the remand and bail for the accused.
Secretariat employees from all ministries launched the protest on Wednesday, demanding the allowance for all staff working inside the administrative hub.
MAL/AM
