BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir ySunday termed putting veteran journalist Shafik Rehman in his eighties on remand as inhuman.
“The arrest of such an elderly senior journalist on cooked up charges and taken him on remand was an inhuman act. It is something, which is not acceptable,” he said while talking to reporters after meeting with Rehman’s wife Taleya Rahman at their Eskaton residence.The BNP leader demanded the immediate release of Shafik Rehman, who is also a member of pro-BNP think tank by canceling his remand.
Expressing his sympathy with Taleya Rahman, he said the arrest of Shafik Rehman was a part of government’s design to suppress the dissident voice and opinion.
“Those who express opinions against the government are being harassed and arrested,” he claimed.
BNP vice president Abdullah Al Noman and chairperson’s adviser Abdul Awal Mintoo were present on the occasion.
DB police arrested Shafik Rehman from his Eskaton residence Saturday morning and later he was shown arrested a case filed with Paltan Police Station in a killing case in August last year.
A Dhaka court on Saturday placed him on a five-day remand in the case for alleged attempts to abduct and kill Prime Minister’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy in the USA.
The case was filed by Detective Branch of Police Inspector Fazlur Rahman with Paltan Police Station in August last year.
Meanwhile, Taleya Rehman yesterday met two officials of British High Commission in Dhaka and formally informed them about the arrest of her husband. She also submitted documents related to arrest of Shafik Rehman to them.
“I went to the British High Commission to inform the about the arrest of Shafik Rehman, who is also a citizen of the UK. I have requested the officials to ensure that Shafik Rehman is not harassed and subjected to injustice,” she told reporters at her Eskaton residence.
Earlier, she met with head of counsellor service Hasina Rahman and Emily Summers of political section at the British High Commission around noon
She said in response to her request the high commission officials assured that they would look into the matter of welfare of her husband as he is a UK citizen.
British High Commission in Dhaka was aware of his arrest, she added. – Staff Reporter
