Actress Mahiya Mahi sent to jail

A Gazipur court on Saturday sent Actress Mahiya Mahi to jail, hours after her arrested from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in connection with a case filed under the Digital Security Act (DSA).

Gazipur Metropolitan Magistrate Iqbal Hossain passed the order when police produced her before the court seeking a seven-day remand prayer in connection with the case.

However, the court rejected the remand petition and sent her to jail.

Earlier in the day, police arrested Mahi from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in connection with a case filed under Digital Security Act (DAC) on Saturday.

Gazipur Metropolitan Police (GMP) arrested Mahi when she landed at the airport from Saudi Arabia around 11:45 am, police said.

Earlier, two cases have been filed against the film actress and her husband for her live-defaming comments on Facebook and alleged involvement in extortion and assaulting a businessman.

Rokon Mia, sub-inspector of Bason Police Station, filed a case under the DSC against Mahi and her husband Rakib Sarkar.

Besides, Ismail Hossain, a businessman, also filed another case on Friday night with the police station against Mahi and 28 others for assaulting, vandalising and forcibly occupying land in the area.

Abu Torab Mohammad Shamsuddin, deputy commissioner of GMP, said police filed the case against the couple for “tarnishing the image of the police, including GMP Commissioner Molla Nazrul Islam after going live on Facebook.

“Legal action will be taken against them after investigation,” said the police official.

According to the case statement, Mahiya Mahi, from her Facebook page, went live early Friday and brought allegations against police.

During the live session, she said Ismail Hossain and Mamun Sarkar, through their people, carried out an attack on a showroom, Sony Raj Car Palace, on Dhaka-Tangail highway near Bhawal Badre Alam Government College.

The actress and her husband also alleged that the Gazipur Metropolitan Police commissioner “supported the attackers” after taking bribe.

She also said she feared getting arrested after returning to the country from Makkah. During the Facebook live, Mahiya’s husband Rakib alleged that police arrested security guards of the car showroom.

Meanwhile, Ismail Hossain, owner of Rod Binding Factory in Itahata area of Gazipur city, in his complaint said, he has been running a factory in the area for the past ten years after purchasing land there.

On Friday, some people on behalf of Rakib and Mahiya attacked and vandalised the factory, he said.

They also beat up five people at the factory, leaving them injured, while trying to occupy the land, according to the complaint.

Molla Nazrul, commissioner of GMP, said, “Actress Mahi brought allegations against police on Facebook and tried to draw sympathy through spreading lies.”