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Bangladeshi journalist's bail plea rejected

Before turning down the bail plea, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Kazi Meraj Hossain heard separate prayers for his release as well as a petition by police for his remand.

The judge allowed two days of police remand for Kabir, but stayed it for two weeks on the prayer of Kabir's lawyers, who will now go to the high court challenging the rejection of bail.

One of Kabir's lawyers said they will move the high court for his release after exhausting the lower courts, and added that the next course of action would soon be decided.

Kabir is acting president of Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee (committee for annihilation of the killers and collaborators of the 1971 war).

Meanwhile, nearly two days after Kabir's arrest, the home ministry said the writer was arrested on charges of carrying out seditious acts abroad.

An official release charged Kabir with engaging in 'anti-state activities outside the country' and attempting 'to tarnish the image of Bangladesh'.

The charges follow a visit by Kabir to Calcutta, where he collected information regarding the atrocities on minorities in Bangladesh following October's election in the country.

He also reportedly interviewed some people who fled to neighbouring India following attacks in Bangladesh.

On November 22, after Kabir returned from India, the customs authority at the airport seized video cassettes, audio cassettes and CDs from him, the official statement said.

"It was later found that the videos contain objectionable and misleading statements that are detrimental to communal harmony and subversive of the state," it said.

In a related development, Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad, the most representative body of minorities, said Kabir was arrested as he was attempting to project the 'pain and misery of minorities'.

The Parishad has decided to observe November 29 as 'protest day' against Kabir's arrest and the repression on minorities.

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