Ex-army officers on 4-day remand in sedition case

A Dhaka court yesterday placed two retired army officers on a four-day remand in a sedition case.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Didarul Alam passed the order after the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police produced Lt (retd) Kazi Gulshan Ara and Lt Col (retd) Debashish before the court with a seven-day remand prayer, said Additional Public Prosecutor Muhammad Shamsud Doha Sumon.

According to a forwarding report submitted to the court, the two accused and their associates had been collecting funds for anti-government activities and creating and disseminating violent and provocative digital content on various social media platforms.

Through platforms named “Unity Care” and “Public Parliament”, formed by a group of retired army officers, the accused allegedly maintained contact with former army chief General (retd) Aziz Ahmed, a former home minister and fugitive senior leaders, and conspired to rehabilitate the Awami League, whose activities are currently banned, and commit organised crimes against the state, the report said.

The accused had also allegedly been trying to destabilise the country by creating content inciting violence and unrest through a page named “KalAjKal.com”.

Gulshan Ara had also used her Facebook account to disseminate content and carry out activities against the state, said DB Inspector Sheikh Bashir Ahmed in the report.

The investigator alleged that the accused were involved in terrorist activities through illegal funding to facilitate the activities of a banned organisation.

“On November 27, 2018, ahead of the national election, Gulshan Ara went to Ganabhaban with more than 150 retired army officers and publicly expressed solidarity with and allegiance to Sheikh Hasina,” the report said.

The report further alleged that the two accused, along with 101 others, had established a committee named “Bangabandhu Sena Parishad” and that the two were active office-bearers of the organisation.

Its primary activities allegedly involved spreading hatred among different social groups and communities to incite riots and clashes.

The accused actively participated in such activities to create disorder in the country and undermine its sovereignty, the report said.

They also allegedly spread hatred and contempt towards the government established by law through social media and appearances on various talk shows, engaging in activities amounting to sedition, it added.

Since August 5, 2024, the two accused and their associates had allegedly been conspiring against the government and conducting defamatory propaganda. Evidence had reportedly been found of their links with domestic and foreign spies, the investigator said.

Gulshan Ara, 43, was arrested during a drive in Pallabi, while Debashish, 47, was arrested from Banani DOHS early yesterday, according to police.

The police filed a case against the duo -- along with 101 other unnamed persons -- with Pallabi Police Station under Section 124A of the Penal Code, Sections 10, 11, 12 and 18(1) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, and Section 25 of the Cyber Security Ordinance.

Amid tight security, the two were escorted to a courtroom of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court around 5:45pm for hearing the remand prayer.