DHAKA: A Dhaka court on Tuesday (Oct 27) rejected bail petition of former lawmaker Major (retd) Akhtaruzzaman in a case filed over assaulting an on-duty security official, obstructing government work and creating disorder at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.
Judge Md Sadekin Habib Bappi of the Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court-5 passed the order, defence lawyer Abdur Razzak told The Daily Star.
On Oct 2, Mohammad Shahriar Alam Sajib, an airport security officer, filed the case against Akhtaruzzaman with the Airport Police Station.
Detectives arrested him from his residence in the Dhaka Cantonment area later that day.
The following day, Akhtaruzzaman was placed on a one-day remand after police produced him before the court with a five-day remand prayer.
On Oct 4, he was sent to jail following his remand after a metropolitan magistrate rejected his bail plea.
According to the case statement, the incident occurred around 10.40am on Oct 1 near the airport’s baggage belt area after passengers arriving from Madina on a Biman flight faced delays in receiving their luggage amid heavy passenger pressure and a shortage of trolleys.
As passengers grew agitated, Mohammad Kamal Hossain, identified in the complaint as the lawmaker from Dhaka-5, asked Airport Executive Director Group Captain SM Ragib Samad to come to the scene, the statement said.
When Ragib arrived and tried to bring the situation under control, Akhtaruzzaman became agitated, moved towards him and hurled abuse at him.
The complaint alleged that Akhtaruzzaman threatened the airport executive director, saying, “I will beat you, I will grab you by the neck, and throw you out.” He also allegedly made offensive remarks about the civil aviation and tourism minister.
The situation escalated when people accompanying Akhtaruzzaman began recording video on their mobile phones inside a restricted Key Point Installation area, according to the complaint.
Warrant Officer Mohammad Kamal Uddin, a security supervisor on duty, asked them not to film in the restricted area. Akhtaruzzaman then allegedly verbally abused and physically assaulted him, the complaint said.
The case statement also said Akhtaruzzaman threw bottles of Zamzam water collected by other passengers off the trolleys, damaging them, and behaved rudely towards a Biman representative.
According to the complaint, CCTV footage, access and security records, flight records, witness accounts and other relevant evidence could be collected as part of the investigation.
Akhtaruzzaman joined Jamaat in December last year after being expelled from BNP. - The Daily Star/ANN
