Gulshan Police chief Daud Hossain said the arrests were made in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act, though the statement did not provide detailed identities of those arrestedCourt Reporter : A Dhaka court has ordered 24 individuals into police custody for 10 days following their arrest under the Anti-Terrorism Act for participating in a sudden “Joy Bangla” slogan march in the capital’s Gulshan-1 area. The suspects, identified as leaders and activists linked to the recently banned Awami League and its affiliate bodies, were detained after a flash procession reportedly triggered public panic and led to clashes with law enforcement.
A suspect, identified only as Arafat, claiming to be a minor, was sent to jail instead, with the court fixing Sunday for a further hearing on the matter.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sarah Farzana Haque passed the order on Saturday, based on a petition from the investigating officer, Prosecution Division Sub-Inspector (SI) Moktar Hossain said.
Police said on Saturday, a day after the march, that 32 people had been arrested in connection with the incident.
Gulshan Police chief Daud Hossain said the arrests were made in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act, though the statement did not provide detailed identities of those arrested.
A march involving several hundred people took place in Gulshan-1 around midday on Friday.
When police moved to disperse the crowd, the marchers set off two crude bombs.
Police fired two rounds of rubber bullets to bring the situation under control.
Gulshan Police SI Md Mahbub Hossain filed the case over the incident, naming 118 people alongside 80 to 100 unidentified others as suspects.
The case’s investigating officer, Gulshan Police SI Ruhul Amin, produced the accused before the court and sought 10 days of interrogation for each, citing five separate grounds.
During the hearing, he told the court that a proper investigation was needed to uncover the full picture behind the incident.
Identifying and arresting the mastermind, along with gathering information on the “conspirators and financiers” involved, required questioning the accused in custody, the officer said.
Prosecution SI Moktar said defence lawyers for the accused had argued for bail, seeking to block the police’s request for custodial interrogation.
“Since Arafat was claimed to be a minor, Sunday has been set for submitting documents and holding a further hearing,” he added.
According to the case statement, leaders of different inactive Awami League affiliates and leaders and activists of the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League gathered near the Gulshan Police Station around 11:45am on Friday and shouted slogans against the government and the state.
The case alleges the gathering was organised to “tarnish the elected government’s image, push an anti-government agenda and put the government in a difficult position”.
The accused allegedly set off crude bombs at the scene and nearby areas to spread fear among the public, while also hurling explosives at police.
Police seized five unexploded crude bombs from the area.
