BNP leader Arif on fresh remand

Criminal Investigation Department (CID) yesterday took BNP leader Arifur Rahman on one-day fresh remand in connection with the 2001 blasts at a rally of Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB).
Metropolitan Magistrate Munshi Abdul Mazid passed the remand order after the CID personnel produced him before a Dhaka court on completion of his one-day remand and sought further 10-day remand for interrogation.
Arifur Rahman, also a ward councillor of Dhaka City Corporation, was earlier taken on a five-day remand in two phases.
In the forwarding report placed before the court yesterday, CID Inspector Mrinal Kanti Saha, also the investigation officer (IO) of the case, said he gathered important information from the arrestee about the blast, which is being verified. He needs to be remanded again for more information about the blast and whereabouts of his accomplices, the IO said.
On the other hand, Arifur's lawyers submitted a petition for bail and cancellation of the remand prayer, saying that their client was implicated in the case as part of a conspiracy to harass him.
After hearing both the sides, the magistrate rejected the bail petition and placed the accused on one-day remand.
The CID members arrested Arifur from his Malibagh residence on September 15.
On January 21 in 2001, five people were killed and 50 others injured in the bomb blasts at a rally of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB).
Following the bomb attack, CPB President Monjurul Ahsan Khan filed a bomb blast case with Motijheel Police Station, saying a group of anti-state conspirators made the attack.
The police arrested 12 people at that time, but the CID submitted the final report on December 17, 2003, as correct, impartial and reliable evidence were not found to prove the charges against the arrestees.
The investigation officer (IO) said he would press charges if sufficient evidence are found against the arrestees.
The IO submitted a petition with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court for reinvestigation into the case on January 27, 2005 and the court directed him for fresh probe into the case after two days.
Earlier, CID arrested Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami's (Huji) leader and several other Huji members for their involvement in the bomb blasts.