A metropolitan magistrate court in Dhaka on Thursday allowed the police to take Sumaiya Jafrin, wife of a major of the Bangladesh Army, into custody for five days for interrogation in a case in connection with a secret meeting with the members of the Awami League in the capital鈥檚 Bashundhara area on July 8.
Metropolitan magistrate Md Sefatullah passed the order responding to a police plea seeking the court鈥檚 permission to take her in custody for seven days for interrogation in the case filed with the Vatara police station on July 13 under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The police earlier produced Sumaiya Jafrin before the court.
Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge鈥檚 Court additional public prosecutor Azizul Haque Didar said that Sumaiya Jafrin was allegedly involved in anti-state conspiracy.
Sumaiya鈥檚 husband Major Sadikul Islam Sadek is now in the custody of the army on similar allegations.
A team of the detective branch of Dhaka
Metropolitan Police arrested Sumaiya at a restaurant in the capital鈥檚 Mirpur DOHS area Wednesday night.
The Inter Services Public Relations Directorate on August 1 said that the Bangladesh Army had formed a court of inquiry against Major Sadikul for his alleged involvement in political activities, and the allegation was primarily found to be true.
The army, at a press briefing at the Officers鈥� Mess in Dhaka Cantonment on July 31, said that Major Sadikul had been taken in custody over allegations of training Awami League members.
According to the metropolitan police, 26 individuals were arrested in connection with the
meeting, and a case was filed with the Bhatara Police Station in Dhaka on July 13 in connection with the meeting.
According to police officials, the secret meeting was held at KB Convention Hall in the capital鈥檚 Bashundhara area, and the hall was rented by a person named Shamima Nasrin Shampa in the name of an organization.
鈥楽ending people abroad鈥� was shown as the reason to rent the hall, the officials said.
They claimed that the meeting was conducted to create instability in the capital鈥檚 Shahbagh area by blocking the road for the return of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina to the country.
On 12 May, the interim government imposed a ban on all activities of the Awami League and its affiliated, allied, and like-minded organisations.
The interim government, led by Professor Muhammad Yunus, assumed office on August 8, 2024, three days after the
ouster of the Awami League regime amid a mass uprising on August 5, 2024 when AL chief and former prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India for shelter.