Katakhali Mayor Abbas on Remand in DSA Case

In a case filed under the Digital Security Act, a Rajshahi court has placed Katakhali municipality Mayor Abbas Ali on a three-day remand.

After police presented him before the court demanding a 10-day remand, the Rajshahi Metropolitan Magistrate Court-2 Shankar Kumar issued an order dismissing his bail application.

Abbas Ali was arrested on 1 December by members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) for making disrespectful remarks about the installation of a mural of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the city.

He was later sued under the Digital Security Act as three complaints on the same allegations were filed with three separate police stations.

The Rajshahi unit of Awami League also relieved him of membership in its executive committee following the controversial comments. Further, all the municipal councillors passed a no-confidence vote against his mayorship.

On November 22, an audio clip of Abbas went viral on social media, in which he was heard saying that installing a mural of Bangabandhu at the Rajshahi City Gate would be a violation of Islamic Sharia law.

Abbas, on the other hand, said he was the victim of a conspiracy in a Facebook live stream on Friday.

The Katakhali mayor said he made some comments regarding the installation of Bangabandhu's mural after being influenced by the words of an Islamic scholar.

"But, I did not make any derogatory comment on Bangabandhu," he claimed.