Bangladesh lawmaker lands in jail over journalist assault charges

Dhaka: A Dhaka court on Thursday sent to jail a flamboyant ruling Awami League lawmaker a day after he was arrested on charges of beating two journalists of a private television channel five days ago.

“Rejected,” Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate S.M. Ashiqur Rahman said as he ordered Golam Maula Rony MP to be remanded in custody while awaiting trial, declining to accept his bail prayers.

The order came hours after police produced Rony before the court under heavy security escorts after his overnight detention at the police detective branch custody after his arrest from the capital.

Rony, in his early 40s, sparked a massive media uproar and protests by attacking a reporter and cameraman of the Independent Television on Saturday for “interfering in his privacy” at his office while the TV channel said they wanted to interview him as part of an investigative report. A businessman by profession, Rony was an unknown figure in politics until the Awami League nominated him for the parliamentary poll contest from a constituency at southwestern Patuakhali.

He, however quickly became a popular face on TV talk shows because of his critical comments, even against his own party stalwarts, alongside his animated gestures.

But media and political analysts said Saturday’s incident could endanger the lawmaker’s political career as he earned annoyance of the party leadership and wrath of the media ahead of general elections due early next year.

Rony apparently could rally no support no support from his party after the incident, with Awami League general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam saying people like him should not be in politics and the law would take its own course.

“Everyone must know, if he commits a crime, he will have to visit the jail,” information minister Hassanul Haque Inu told newsmen after the court order came.

But just ahead of his arrest, Rony posted a status in his Facebook account alleging he was being victimised for his vocal stand against corruption, particularly the financial impropriety of the influential owner of the Independent TV and he feared some stalwarts of the government had a stake in it.

“I am thanking Prime Minister Shaikh Hasina from the core of my heart for setting a milestone in establishing the rule of law by sending me to jail,” he said.