What Mozammel Babu, Shahriar Kabir, Shyamal Dutta tell court

Ekattor Television CEO Mozammel Haque Babu and president of the advisory board of the Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee, have been placed on a seven-day remand each in connection with the killing of a domestic help Liza Aktar during the anti-discrimination movement in Dhaka.

Besides, the court placed Bhorer Kagoj editor Shyamal Dutta on a seven-day remand in connection with a case filed with Bhasantek Police Station over the killing of a youth named Fazlu.

Dhaka’s Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Sanaullah passed the remand orders on Tuesday.

During the remand hearing on Tuesday (September 17), the judge asked Mozammel Haque Babu whether he wanted to say anything else. As he tried to say something, his voice couldn’t be heard due to the shouting of pro-BNP lawyers. Then he sought pardon from the court holding his hands together.

At that time, he said, “My Joy Bangla, Joy Hind remarks have been manipulated. I’m suffering from cancer.”

Then the court asked Shahriar Kabir whether he wanted to say anything else.

Shahriar Kabir said, “I’m sick, I can’t walk. I’ve written more than 100 books. You’ll never find that I’ve written anything else against Islam. It’s your wish whether you will place me on remand or not. I’m sick and can’t move without wheel chairs.”

Then a hearing took place on Shyamal Dutta’s remand.

He told the court: “I’m a professional journalist and have been in this profession over the last 37 years. I have been working at the same house for 33 years. I didn’t receive any facilities from the government. I didn’t receive any residential plot or TV licence. I’m an elected secretary of Jatiya Press Club, and vice-president of Editors’ Council. I was not in Dhaka when Fazlu was killed. The government has issued a directive stating that journalists should not be arrested without scrutiny. In spite of it, I have been arrested.”

Then the court placed Ekattor Television CEO Mozammel Haque Babu, chairman of the Advisory Board of the Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee Shahriar Kabir and journalist Shyamal Dutta on a 7-day remand each.

At about 9:00am, they were brought at the court and kept in hazatkhana of the CMM court. The accused were produced before the court at 9:40am. At that time, lawyers made sarcastic remarks at them. Afterward, inspector Md Payel Hossain who is the investigation officer of the case, then pleaded to the court to place the accused on a 10-day remand each.

The prosecution supported the request, while the defense argued against the remand and sought bail.

The victim, Liza Akter, was critically injured in gunfire on July 18 in the Ramna area and died from her injuries on July 22 while receiving medical treatment. Her father, Md. Zainal Sikdar, filed the case at Ramna Model Police Station on September 5, naming ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and 174 others.