13 held Jamaat men remanded

A Dhaka court yesterday placed 13 Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and activists including two former lawmakers on a three-day remand each in a case filed over seizure of bombs.

The order came after the Detective Branch of Police produced them before the court with a 10-day remand prayer.

Police arrested former Jamaat lawmakers Mia Golam Parwar and Prof Mujibur Rahman and 11 other party leaders and activists at a Mirpur flat on Monday and seized 20 crude bombs from their possession.

Nayeb-e-Ameer of Jamaat Mujibur, also former MP of Rajshahi-1, is an accused in 45 cases and Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Parwar, an ex-MP of Khulna-5, in 12, said police.

The flat is owned by Harunur Rashid, president of Sramik Kalyan Federation, Jamaat's labour front, police said, adding that Harun played a key role in arranging the meeting.

In the remand prayer, DB Inspector Mahfuzur Rahman, also investigation officer of the case, said the Jamaat men gathered at the flat to carry out subversive activities in the garment sector ahead of Eid. So they need to be remanded to find out reasons behind their meeting.

Defence lawyers sought their clients' bail alleging that the authorities sued them only to harass.