Home minister accuses Annie of making a ‘false allegation’ in court

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan has accused arrested BNP leader Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie of making a 'false allegation' in court following his arrest.

"His (Annie’s) claims in court are also untrue because he couldn't provide any evidence of torture. The police did not subject him to any torture. He lied to mislead the court," Asaduzzaman Khan told reporters at an event organised by the Satyen Sen Artist Group at Dhaka University on Friday, reports bdnews24.com.

The home minister also asserted that there was no forced entry into Annie's residence during the arrest.

The house had security cameras, but no evidence supporting Annie's allegations was found, according to the minister.

"There are two cases in Lakshmipur against Annie, who is wanted by the authorities. He needed to attend court and apply for bail. However, he did not seek bail," he said.

"The police went to apprehend Annie for not seeking bail, which is their duty. He was informed, and his relatives were requested to open the door. The police knocked on the door to avoid any forceful entry, and there was no damage to the door."

The BNP alleged that Annie was taken from his Dhanmondi residence in the early hours of Wednesday. He was later presented in court in connection with a case filed at the Dhanmondi Police Station involving acts of sabotage.

During the hearing, BNP's publicity secretary Annie alleged that he was tortured in police custody after arrest.

Police sought a seven-day remand for further questioning, but the court granted them four days to interrogate Annie in their custody.