Police secure 10 days remand to interrogate Manna

A Dhaka court has ordered ten days in police custody for Nagorik Oikya Convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna in a case of incitement for a possible military takeover in Bangladesh.

Metropolitan Magistrate Mahbubur Rahman gave the order of remand when the former student leader was produced in his court on Wednesday.

Manna in a phone conversation with an unidentified person seemed to suggest the need to influence senior generals to take over power and end the current political crisis.

In another conversation with BNP leader Sadeque Hossain Khoka, now in the US, he said ' a few deaths' during clashes in the Dhaka university could destabilise the government.

The two leaked audio clips of Manna -- one of his conversation with BNP leader Sadeque Hossain Khoka and the other with an unidentified person -- were carried by bdnews24.com on Sunday.

That led to an intense political debate.

He was picked up by the Rapid Action Battalion from a house in Banani early on Tuesday and later handed over to the Gulshan police.

He was then sent to the Detective Branch headquarters and was produced in court on Wednesday.

A case was filed against Manna with the Gulshan police on Tuesday under Section 131 of Penal Code.

Bangladesh Penal Code's Section 131 says, “Whoever abets the committing of mutiny by an officer, soldier...or attempts to seduce any such officer, soldier, sailor or airman from his allegiance or his duty, shall be punished with [imprisonment] for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.”