Murad at Dhaka airport on his return from the UAE.

Disgraced state minister for information and broadcasting Murad Hassan was forced to return to the country yesterday.

He arrived at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) at 4:56pm in an Emirates flight from Dubai, an aviation security officer told The Daily Star.

Being denied entry to Canada and having no visa to enter the UAE, Murad had little choice but to return to Bangladesh, said sources close to the ruling party lawmaker from Jamalpur-4.

Meanwhile, four pro-BNP lawyers yesterday filed four separate cases against  Murad and digital media host Mohiuddin Helal Nahid under the Digital  Security Act (DSA).

The cases were filed with cyber  tribunals in Dhaka, Chattogram, Rajshahi and Sylhet for making  derogatory comments about BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and her family  members during a Facebook Live video.

Murad resigned from his cabinet post last Tuesday after an uproar caused by the misogynistic and sexually abusive remarks heard on social media and in a leaked audio clip of another conversation.

Murad had left the country for Canada last Thursday. A source at the information ministry said Murad got the visa to visit Canada for official purposes when he was a state minister.

But he went to Canada on Friday on a personal tour after his resignation, which could be a reason why the Canadian authorities denied Murad entry into the country, added the source.

After ending the immigration formalities yesterday at the HSIA, Murad left the airport using the domestic terminal instead of the VIP terminal exit to avoid media.

Sources at the airport said none but his brother came to receive him. He was then seen going towards Uttara with his brother instead of his Dhanmondi home.

Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) did not make any official statement regarding the incident, or for putting Murad back on the Emirates Airlines plane on which he landed in Toronto Pearson International Airport at 1:31pm Eastern Standard Time on Friday.

Expatriate Bangladeshis in Canada as well as Toronto-based Bangla news portals reported that the CBSA denied the former state minister entry after receiving an overwhelming number of objections against him.

Following public outrage over his misogynistic remarks, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on December 6 directed Hassan to hand in his resignation.

The next day, he sent in his resignation to the prime minister and President Abdul Hamid.

DSA CASES AGAINST MURAD

According to the statements of the DSA cases filed yesterday, the accused -- Murad Hassan and Mohiuddin Helal Nahid -- used "profoundly vulgar, misogynistic, and derogatory language" against Khaleda Zia, BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman and Zaima Rahman during a Facebook Live and disseminated false information.

Murad Hassan also shared the interview, which was broadcasted live by Helal Nahid from his verified Facebook page on December 1, the complainants said in the case statements.

In four cases, the complainants brought similar allegations against the accused under Sections 25/29/31/35 of the DSA.

In Dhaka, Omar Faruk Faruqui, former general secretary of Dhaka Bar Association, filed the case.

The hearing on the complaint is likely to be held today, court sources said.

In Chattogram, Badrul Anwar, president of Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum Chattogram unit, filed the complaint.

The court set December 15 to decide whether to take the case into cognisance.

In Rajshahi, AKM Saiful Islam, senior joint convenor of Bogura district unit of BNP, filed the case.

No date was fixed for hearing in the case till this report was filed yesterday.

In Sylhet, Tanvir Akther Khan of Sylhet District Bar Association filed the case.

The hearing of the case was scheduled on December 15.