Shawkat Mahmud remanded

A Dhaka court yesterday placed BNP chairperson's Adviser Shawkat Mahmud on a three-day remand in a case filed for killing a man in an arson attack in January.

Metropolitan Magistrate Shahriar Mahmud Adnan passed the order after Detective Branch (DB) of police produced Shawkat, also president of a faction of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists, before the court with a 10-day remand plea.

DB Sub-inspector Shafiqul Islam, also the case's investigation officer, told the court that the remand was necessary to know the whereabouts of the other fugitive accused.

Lawyer Masud Ahmed Talukder had filed a petition seeking Shawkat's bail but it was rejected.

On the night of January 9, when the opposition was enforcing a countrywide blockade, arsonists stopped a private car near Moghbazar in the capital and set it on fire with petrol, said police.

Driver Abdul Kalam, who was inside, sustained severe burn injuries then. He died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on January 15.

The next day, Ramna police filed a case against 13 over the incident.

According to the plaintiff, Kalam was killed by a group of BNP-led 20-party alliance men.

Shawkat's name was not in the first information report. Police showed him arrested in the case while filing the remand prayer yesterday.

On Tuesday, the journalist was picked up from the city's Panthapath area when he went to a convention centre to attend a press briefing of Adarsha Dhaka Andolan, a pro-BNP professionals' platform.

Later, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner (media) Muntasirul Islam said Shawkat was arrested in three cases related to arson attacks on vehicles, vandalising vehicles and crude bomb blasts in Jatrabari area.