‘Tarnishing the image of the government’: 186 returnees denied bail

A Dhaka court today rejected the bail petitions of 186 out of 219 returnees from Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain in a case filed against them for "tarnishing the image of government".

Metropolitan Magistrate Debdash Chandra Adhikary passed the order after their lawyers submitted separate petitions seeking bails in the case.

The 186 were part of the 219 who were quarantined for 14 days in an army-operated quarantine centre.

All 219 had been arrested under section 54 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) for their alleged involvement in tarnishing the image of the government.

On July 4, officers of Turag Police Station submitted a forwarding report to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court of Dhaka.

After evaluating the report placed before it by Inspector Md Shafiullah of the station, Metropolitan Magistrate Debbrata Biswas granted it and ordered the returnees be sent to Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj.

In the forwarding report, Inspector Shafiullah, who is also the investigation officer of the case, said the arrestees were convicted for their involvement in offences committed in the three countries.

But due to the Covid-19 pandemic, their sentences were commuted and they were sent back to Bangladesh.

On their arrival, they were sent to an army-controlled quarantine centre for 14 days.

But the arrestees had "formed groups and were making attempts to tarnish the image of the government in different ways", the report said.

After getting information about their "anti-state activities", Turag police immediately informed it to the higher authorities of the government and submitted a petition with the Dhaka court for showing them arrested under section 54 of the CrPC.

The IO also appealed to the court to keep them in jail until the investigation is completed.