Mufti Amir Hamza on five-day remand
Mufti Amir Hamza, a well-known speaker on Islam, was placed on a five-day remand yesterday in connection with a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Atikul Islam passed the order after Investigation Officer Kazi Mizanur Rahman, also an inspector of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of police, produced Hamza before the court with a ten-day remand prayer, court sources said.
The magistrate also placed Mohammad Abdullah and Anowar Hossain, members of Ansar-al-Islam, on a four-day remand each in the case.
In the remand prayer, the IO said Hamza lured Ansar-al-Islam member Md Al Shakib and others into extremism through his speeches.
Hamza made provocative speeches at waz mahfils (religious programmes) by spreading misleading information in the name of Islam. He was also involved in publicising and spreading such contents on social media, said the police forwarding report.
Besides, Al Shakib in his confessional statement said he saw some of the provocative speeches of Hamza on YouTube and was "inspired" to attack law enforcers.
So, Hamza needs to be remanded to find out whereabouts of others responsible, the IO added.
The forwarding report said Abdullah and Anowar worked for managing bail for arrested members of Ansar-al-Islam. They also gathered finance from other members and recruited members for the outfit.
On the other hand, the defence for the accused submitted a petition along with cancellation of remand prayer on grounds that their client is not a FIR-named accused and he was not involved in extremism.
No defence lawyer was seen at the court for Abdullah and Anowar yesterday.
The magistrate rejected the defence pleas.
On May 24, CTTC arrested Hamza from Chorhas area of Kushtia for spreading misleading information in the name of Islam at different waz mahfils.
On May 5, Al Shakib was arrested from the capital's Sher-e Bangla Nagar allegedly for plotting to attack the parliament building. On May 15, he confessed to a Dhaka magistrate.
A case was filed with Sher-e Bangla Nagar Police Station that day.
Shakib's phone had clips of speeches by Ali Hasan Usama, Mahmudul Hasan Gunbi, Amir Hamza and Harun Izhar, according to CTTC officials.
Usama was arrested from Rajbari on May 5.
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