Fakhrul again denied bail

A Dhaka court yesterday sent BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir back to jail, rejecting his remand and bail petitions in an arson case.

Metropolitan Magistrate Asaduzzaman Nur also allowed police to interrogate Fakhrul at the jail gate.

Earlier, Dewan Uzzal Hossain, a sub-inspector of Detective Branch of police, also the case's investigation officer, produced the BNP leader before the court with a 10-day remand prayer.

The defence had also filed a petition with the court seeking Fakhrul's bail. The court was told he had been suffering from different ailments.

The BNP leader was taken to the court on completion of his five-day remand in connection with another arson case. The lawsuit was filed with Paltan Model Police Station for torching a car of an army major in front of Baitul Mamur Jame Masjid on January 4.  

The case in which Fakhrul was sent back to jail yesterday was lodged with the same police station.

The lawsuit accuses 51 leaders and activists of the BNP-led 20-party alliance and 120 to 150 unnamed people of setting fire to a motorbike of a police sergeant at Purana Paltan on January 5.

According to the remand prayer, the bike was torched with an intention to kill the policeman.

On January 6, detectives picked up Fakhrul as he came out of the Jatiya Press Club with pro-government journalists who were protesting against his stay there. The BNP leader had been at the press club for around 24 hours.