Dhaka, March 10 (bdnews24.com) – A Dhaka court Saturday rejected a bail prayer of Awami League joint general secretary Obaidul Quader and ordered him to jail on a one-month detention.
Allegations of trying to destabilise the country had been brought against the close aide of the party chief Sheikh Hasina in the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Noni Gopal Biswas.
Quader, who was arrested in a pre-dawn raid Friday, was brought to the court amid tight security shortly after 3:00 pm.
Hundreds of party colleagues along with many lawyers linked to Awami League flocked to the court premises.
The court was told that he was arrested under emergency powers since it was not possible to detain him under conventional laws. Security officials can arrest any person under article 16 of the Emergency Ordinance if there is any allegation of creating anarchy in the country, the court was told.
The emergency rules seize many basic rights.
The state counsels said that Quader had resorted to terrorist activities to obstruct state activities.
They also accused him of creating panic among people and giving provocative statement against the government and the state.
Advocate Sahara Khatun, Kamrul Islam and other lawyers linked to Awami League opposed the argument and demanded Quader's release.
They said Quader was a cabinet member, freedom fighter and columnist. He had never given any provocative statement against the state.
But the court rejected the prayer and ordered him to jail.
The security officials early Friday raided the home of Dhaka city Awami League member Ali Newaz at Khilgaon at around 5:00 am and arrested Quader.
Quader, a former state minister in 1996-2001, apparently slipped through the joint forces' net Wednesday night when some political stalwarts including Tarique Rahman were captured in a major crackdown against "corrupt" people.
He told bdnews24.com on the court premises that he faced no torture in the custody. "They have taken me to court directly from the Cantonment police station," he said.
Quader had played a vital role as one of the key strategists in organising months of street protests that often turned violent after former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia handed over power to a caretaker government in October.
Party chief Hasina also claimed Friday that there was no corruption allegation against Quader, branding him a "clean man".
bdnews24.com/corr/jr/ah/1750 hrs.
