Police remand for 16

Four Pakistani nationals have been remanded to a week in police custody by a Dhaka court after they were arrested with fake Indian currency. But a Jamaat-e-Islami leader and eleven others arrested with bombs were sent to police remand for two to four days by the same court.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Joynab Begum gave the four Pakistani nationals – Sayeed Uddin, Mohammad Farhan, Rubina Begum and Nargis Akhter – seven days in remand, Additional Deputy Commissioner of police Anisur Rahman said.

Police had sought 10 days custody for these four.

Jamaat’s leader Dr Farid and five other activists – Farid Uddin Masud, Mizanur Rahman, Mahfuzur Rahman, Saidur Rahman Sajal and Abdul Jalil Ahmmad - were placed on a three day remand in a Kalabagan Police Station case filed under the Explosives act.

Jamaat activists Mostafa, Mamunur Rashid, Abul Bashar and Rezaul were placed on four days remand and Dolly Akhter and Ruksana on two days remand over a Khilkhet police case.

The arrested 16 were all part of a gang, Joint Commissioner of Police Monirul Islam said at a Saturday press conference in Dhaka Metropolitan Police Media Centre. They were into counterfeit currency and supporting militancy.

Police nabbed the 16 in separate raids on Friday afternoon.

Police raided a house in Kathalbagan’s Free School Street and nabbed Dr Farid, Farid Uddin Masud (back from Afghanistan), ex-Shibir leader Mizanur Rahman and Mahfuzur Rahman on Friday evening.

Eight crude bombs, 12 books, electric wires and fittings, and almost Tk 100,000 were recovered from them.

Dr Farid, an opthalmologist, said he left Jamaat recently but was maintaining connections with several other Islamist organisations.

Based on Farid’s information, police nabbed Khalid, alias Mannan, and Sajal from Paltan around 8:00pm Saturday night. Khalid confessed to receiving money for buying arms and of being involved with the racket counter4feiting Indian rupees.

Monirul Islam said Khalid’s information led police to counterfeit businessmen Mohamamd Mostafa, Mamunur Rashid and his wife Dolly Akhter, Abul Bashar, Rezaul Karim and Roksana Begum from a Nikunja house. Counterfeit Indian currency worth 6.6 million rupees was recovered from them.

Detective police said Mamun and Mostafa gave out the location of some Pakistani nationals involved with the counterfeit racket.

The four Pakistani nationals were nabbed from Bangshal around Friday midnight. 4,000 Pakistani rupees, 400 US dollars and fake Indian currency worth 6.3 million rupees was seized from them.