Making me a party puppet is their problem: Anis Alamgir
Journalist Anis Alamgir, arrested under the Anti-Terrorism Act in a case at Uttara West Police Station in the capital, was produced in court today, Monday, at 5:33pm.
During the remand hearing, he told the court, “Those who want to turn me into a puppet of a particular party, that’s their problem.”
In this case, the police applied to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Dhaka for a seven-day remand to question Anis Alamgir.
The investigation officer of the case, Police Inspector Md Moniruzzaman of Uttara West Police Station, submitted the remand request. He was brought to the court lockup at 5:08pm.
In court, Anis Alamgir said, “Honorable court, I am a journalist. I question those in power. I have been doing this for two decades. My job is not to bow to anyone. Those who want to turn me into a puppet of a particular party—that’s their problem. I share all my statements on Facebook; nothing is undisclosed. I have spoken about an attack on the house of Yunus (the Chief Adviser), but the reasons I mentioned it—attacks on Dhanmondi 32—are about politics of revenge. That will come back. I have also talked about how the spirit of July will grow. I don’t know what mistake I have made. I have no connection with anyone. If Dr. Yunus wishes, he can turn all of Bangladesh into a prison.”
Yesterday, Sunday evening, Anis Alamgir was brought to the DB office on Minto Road in the capital. Speaking to Prothom Alo by phone at around 8:30 PM, he said he had been taken from a gym in the Dhanmondi area at 7:30 PM and reached the DB office by 8 PM. He was told that the DB chief would speak with him.
Today, Monday, at around 3:40 PM, DB chief Md Shafiqul Islam confirmed that journalist Anis Alamgir had been arrested under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
It was later revealed that Arian Ahmed, a central organiser of an organisation called the “July Revolutionary Alliance,” filed the case under the Anti-Terrorism Act at Uttara West Police Station around 2 AM yesterday. The case names five accused, including journalist Anis Alamgir and actress Meher Afroz Shaon.