A court has sent 219 Bangladeshis who returned from abroad to jail on charges of spreading false information against the government and the state. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Devdas Chandra Adhikari issued the order on Sunday.
On the same day, Turag Police Inspector (Investigation) Mohammad Safiullah produced the accused in court and requested them to be kept in jail till the end of the investigation. According to the petition, a total of 219 expatriate Bangladeshis, including 141 in Kuwait, 39 in Qatar and 39 in Bahrain, were incarcerated in those countries for various criminal activities.
When they returned to the country, they were sent to their home quarantine. They have tarnished the image of Bangladesh by committing crimes abroad. Legal action needs to be taken against them in the public interest. The petition further said that while they were at the Home Quarantine Center, they planned to spread false information against the government and the state through social media and carry out various programs.
Besides, the names and addresses of the returnees have not been verified. The investigating officer requested to keep them in jail in this situation. Meanwhile, their lawyers applied for bail on behalf of the accused.
On the other hand, Dhaka Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Abdullah Abu along with the state opposed the bail. After hearing all the parties, the court rejected the bail application and ordered to send 219 people to jail.
BS/
