Former minister Amu on six-day remand, lawyer assaulted in court
The court has given its approval for former minister and Awami League advisory council member Amir Hossain Amu to be taken on six-day remand for interrogation.
He was arrested in a case filed at the New Market police station in the capital for the killing of trader Abdul Wadud.
The order was issued today, Thursday, by the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM)'s court. At one point of the hearing, a group of lawyers assaulted Amu's lawyer and threw him out of court.
The police brought Amu to court today, Thursday, seeking a 10-day remand. The appeal said that Amu has been accused in the case regarding the murder of trader Abdul Wadud. They said it was important to take him on remand for interrogation to unveil the facts behind the incident.
The chief public prosecutor (PP) of the Dhaka metropolitan sessions judge court, Omar Faruq Faruqui, said Amu was one of the main associates of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. Innocent people were shot dead during the student-people's movements, including the movement of the Students against Discrimination. The accused was involved in the plotting and planning of these killings. He said it was important to interrogate him on remand to unveil the mystery being the incidents.
The defence appealed for Amu's bail, asking that the appeal for remand be rejected. During the hearing, Amu's lawyer Swapan Roy Chowdhury began to speak when, at one point of time, a group of lawyers assaulted him and threw him out of court.
Later Amu himself spoke in court. He said, he was unwilling to say anything after seeing the circumstances created when his lawyer spoke.
Amu said, "We are in politics. Lawyers are each other's brothers. When the conditions are right, I will certainly speak."
After hearing both sides, the court gave permission for Amu to be taken on six-day remand.
Speaking to Prothom Alo later, Amu's lawyer Swapan Roy Chowdhury said the moment he began to talk, a group of lawyers assaulted him and threw him out of court.
Amu was brought to the court premises at around 11:00 am Thursday morning. He was first kept in court custody and later taken to the court room wearing a police helmet and bullet proof jacket.
Police said that Amu was arrested yesterday, Wednesday, at around 1:30 pm from a house in Dhanmondi of the capital.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police's deputy commissioner of media and public relations, Muhammad Talebur Rahman, said that there were 15 cases, including for murder, against Amu.