Muktibani Online Report
Charges include ‘assault, disorder’ at airport
Former lawmaker Major (retd) Akhtaruzzaman, who joined Jamaat-e-Islami last year, was arrested yesterday on charges of assaulting an on-duty security official, obstructing government work and creating disorder at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.
Detectives arrested him at his residence in the Dhaka Cantonment area around 6:00pm, Shafiqul Islam, additional commissioner of (DB) Dhaka Metropolitan Police, told Media.
Earlier, airport security officer Mohammad Shahriar Alam Sajib filed a case against the former MP, said Jesmin Akter Popy, sub-inspector and duty officer of Airport Police Station.
According to the case statement, the incident took place around 10:40am on Thursday near the airport’s baggage belt area after passengers arriving from Madinah on a Biman flight faced delays in receiving their luggage amid heavy passenger pressure and a shortage of trolleys.
As passengers grew agitated, Mohammad Kamal Hossain, identified in the complaint as the lawmaker from Dhaka-5, asked airport Executive Director Group Captain SM Ragib Samad to come to the scene, the statement said.
When Ragib arrived and tried to bring the situation under control, Akhtaruzzaman became agitated, moved towards him and hurled abuse at him.
The complaint alleged that Akhtaruzzaman threatened the airport executive director, saying, “I will beat you, I will grab you by the neck, and throw you out.” He also allegedly made offensive remarks about the civil aviation and tourism minister.
According to the complaint, the situation escalated when people accompanying Akhtaruzzaman began recording videos on their mobile phones inside a restricted Key Point Installation area.
Warrant Officer Mohammad Kamal Uddin, a security supervisor on duty, asked them not to film in the restricted area. Akhtaruzzaman then allegedly verbally abused and physically assaulted him, the complaint said.
The case statement also said Akhtaruzzaman threw bottles of Zamzam water collected by other passengers off the trolleys, damaging them, and behaved rudely towards a Biman representative.
According to the complaint, CCTV footage, access and security records, flight records, witness accounts and other relevant evidence could be collected as part of the investigation.
Akhtaruzzaman joined Jamaat in December last year after being expelled from BNP.
