A Dhaka court has placed two retired army officers on a four-day remand in a case involving allegations of sedition, illegal financing, activities of a banned organisation and the circulation of provocative content on social media.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Didarul Alam passed the order this evening (12 October), state prosecutor Harun-or-Rashid confirmed.
The accused are Lieutenant (retd) Kazi Gulshan Ara, 43, and Lieutenant Colonel (retd) Debashish, 47.
Earlier, investigation officer Sheikh Bashir Ahmed, an inspector of the Detective Branch's Cyber and Special Crime Division, produced them before the court and sought a seven-day remand for questioning.
The investigator said interrogation was necessary to identify other accused, establish their addresses and whereabouts, verify the alleged involvement of local and foreign individuals, recover digital evidence and locate other websites or pages allegedly operated by them. Police also sought to establish the motives behind the alleged activities.
According to the case statement, the accused operated from Kazi Gulshan Ara's residence in Pallabi and were associated with online platforms named "Bangladesh Awami League Supporters Alpha 1" and "BBM Transparency".
The complaint alleges that they used WhatsApp groups described as anti-government to collect funds and created digital content allegedly encouraging violence, which was subsequently circulated on various social media platforms.
It further alleges that they maintained contact with former army chief General (retd) Aziz Ahmed, a former home minister and fugitive senior leaders through a platform called "Unity Care and Public Parliament", formed by retired army officers.
According to the complaint, the platform was allegedly used to facilitate the rehabilitation of the Awami League and pursue conspiracies against the state.
The case statement also alleges that content inciting violence and instability was circulated through a page named "KalAjkal.com". Kazi Gulshan Ara's personal social media accounts were allegedly used to promote activities described in the complaint as anti-state.
The first information report (FIR) alleges that Kazi Gulshan Ara publicly expressed allegiance to then prime minister Sheikh Hasina at Ganabhaban on 27 November 2018, ahead of the national election, alongside more than 150 retired army officers.
It further claims that she later established an organisation named "Bangabandhu Sena Parishad" with associates. The organisation was allegedly used to spread hostility among different sections of society, incite riots and disseminate hatred and contempt against the government through social media and television talk shows.
According to the FIR, the accused and their associates had been conspiring against the government and Bangladesh and conducting defamatory campaigns since 5 August 2024. The complaint also alleges that they had links with domestic and foreign intelligence operatives.
The case was filed by Pallabi Police Station Inspector Md Ali Akbar under Section 124A of the Penal Code, relevant provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act and the Cyber Security Ordinance.
A team from the Pallabi zonal police arrested Kazi Gulshan Ara from her residence in Pallabi at around 12:30am on 12 October, following an operation late on 11 October.
Police later arrested Debashish from his residence in Banani at around 2:30am the same day, based on information obtained from her.