Mainul’s arrest is illegal: BNP

Protesting the arrest of Barrister Mainul Hosein, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi today said the arrest is completely illegal.

“Such an arrest in a defamation case is totally unheard of and it is aimed at halting the movement to revive democracy,” the BNP leader said at a press conference at the BNP's Nayapaltan central office.

“There is no provision of immediately arresting someone in a defamation case. First, the court will issued summon and then record his statement,” Rizvi said.

An arrest warrant is issued if the defendant fails to appear before the court after the summon, he said.

Barrister Mainul Hosein was arrested last night from JSD (Rab) chief ASM Abdur Rab's Uttara residence in a defamation case filed with a Rangpur court.

After arresting Mainul, whose recent comment on a female journalist triggered outrage, officials took him to the Detective Branch office on Mintoo Road in the capital.

Mainul is a former caretaker government adviser who was involved in the formation of the major political alliance Jatiyo Oikyafront ahead of elections.

He is facing at least six cases and got an ad interim bail on Sunday in two defamation cases filed in Dhaka and Jamalpur.