Bangla Press Desk: A Dhaka court on Sunday dismissed a police plea to show former Major Md Sadikul Haque arrested in a case filed over the burning of a car in the capital.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Ehsanul Islam dismissed the plea following a hearing, defence lawyer Al-Amin confirmed the development.On 7 August, Vatara Police Station Sub-Inspector Chand Ali, also the investigating officer (IO) in the case, sought an order to show Sadikul arrested in the case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The court fixed 10 August for a hearing in the presence of the accused. Sadikul was produced before the court on that day.
During the hearing, the defence lawyer told the court that the accused had been in jail at the time of the incident and asked how he could have set the car on fire while he was in jail.
The court then asked Vatara Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mazharul Islam and the IO to submit an explanation on the matter.
Accordingly, the OC and the IO submitted written explanations to the court on Sunday. Later, the court dismissed the plea.
The written explanations said that Sadikul held secret meetings from 3 to 8 July 2025 at a convention hall under the police station area, where activists of the Awami League, whose activities have been banned, and its student wing, Bangladesh Chhatra League, which is also banned, took part.
Sadikul allegedly held meetings and training sessions aimed at mobilising supporters and creating unrest in the country. Some of the participants were later arrested, while others remained absconding.
The explanation said the absconding leaders and activists allegedly made plans and received training at the meetings to destabilise the country and allegedly burned the car following Sadikul’s earlier instructions.
On 7 August, IO Chand Ali submitted a petition seeking to show Sadikul arrested in the case filed over the setting fire to a car owned by Monir Hossain on the night of 11 November 2025. Later, Monir filed a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act with Vatara Police Station.
Sadikul, who was dismissed from the Bangladesh Army, was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment by a military court on 29 October 2024.
According to defence lawyer Al-Amin, Sadikul had been in jail since 19 October 2025 after being sentenced by the military court. He was later shown arrested in another case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act on 29 December 2025.
Al Amin said that when the car-burning incident took place on 11 November 2025, his client was already in prison.
He said the High Court had granted Sadikul bail in the case and that there was now no legal bar to his release from jail.
