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DHAKA: A Dhaka court has placed former lawmaker Major (retd) Akhtaruzzaman on a one-day remand in a case filed over an incident at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
According to prosecution, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Albiruni Mir passed the order after a hearing on Saturday afternoon.
A case was filed against Akhtaruzzaman with Airport Police Station on Thursday night over allegations of creating disorder over a shortage of luggage trolleys, obstructing government duties and physically assaulting an on-duty security official at the airport.
The Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police arrested Akhtaruzzaman from his residence in DOHS Cantonment in the capital on Friday afternoon.
Investigating officer Sub-Inspector Majedul Islam of Airport Police Station sought a five-day remand for questioning. Following the hearing, the court granted a one-day remand.
According to the case statement cited by police, a shortage of trolleys developed near baggage belt No. 8 at around 10:45am Thursday after passengers disembarked from Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight BG-338 from Medina. Delays in collecting luggage led to frustration and tension among passengers.
At the request of Dhaka-5 MP Mohammad Kamal Hossain, airport Executive Director Group Captain SM Ragib Samad went to the area to assess the situation. While he was attempting to calm the situation, Akhtaruzzaman allegedly approached him in an aggressive manner and publicly threatened to assault and remove him from the airport.
Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar called for Akhtaruzzaman’s release in a statement. He claimed Akhtaruzzaman had faced harassment and difficulties like other passengers after arriving at the airport on October 1 following Umrah and had expressed his anger in protest.
Akhtaruzzaman was elected MP from Kishoreganj-2 on BNP tickets in 1991 and 1996. He later contested the 11th parliamentary election with the BNP’s “sheaf of paddy” symbol but lost to the Awami League candidate. He also contested the 2024 election as an independent candidate and was defeated.
He previously served as president of the Kishoreganj district BNP. He was expelled from the BNP for the fifth time on February 20, 2022, over allegations of involvement in activities contrary to party discipline. He joined Jamaat-e-Islami on December 13, ahead of the 13th parliamentary election.
