Khasru sent to jail

A court in Chattogram yesterday sent BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury to jail in a case filed under the ICT and Special Powers acts.

He surrendered before the court of Metropolitan Sessions Judge Akbar Hossain Mridha and pleaded for bail, which was rejected, Khasru's lawyer Mafizul Haque Bhuiyan told The Daily Star.

Jakaria Dastagir, general secretary of Chattogram city Chhatra League, filed the case with Kotwali Police Station on August 4 under the controversial section 57 of the ICT Act and section 15 of the Special Powers Act, after a phone conversation allegedly between Khasru and a BNP activist named Nowmi was leaked.

In the case statement, the complainant said Khasru was hatching a conspiracy to destabilise the country and instigate anarchy through subversive activities.

On August 28, the BNP leader secured bail for six weeks from the High Court.

The bail was extended by a Chittagong court on October 07 until yesterday.

The court also asked the investigation officer of the case to be present before the court during hearing.

“We told the court that there was no evidence in the audio conversation of Khasru hatching conspiracy against the government,” Mafizul Haque said.

The court listened to the recorded conversation on IO Sub-Inspector Sanjoy Guhu's phone.

The court also asked Sanjoy Guhu to play the conversation through loud speaker.

Prosecutor Fakhruddin Chowdhury presented his arguments and pleaded the court for cancelling Khasru's bail.

After the court cancelled the bail and sent him to jail, Pro-BNP lawyers started a commotion inside the court as police took Khasru out of the room.

Pro-BNP lawyers later demonstrated on the court premises.

BNP's city unit President Shahadat Hossain, who was present in the courtroom during the hearing, told reporters, “We will continue to demonstrate for the release of our leaders.”

A large number of police were deployed on the premises. The BNP leader was taken to jail amid tight security.

Meanwhile, police in the afternoon filed a case accusing Shahadat and 149 others of assaulting police on the court premises.