A Kurigram court on Tuesday rejected the bail petition of former Deputy Commissioner (DC) Sultana Parvin and ordered her immediate imprisonment in a case filed over the abduction and torture of journalist Ariful Islam Rigan in 2020.

District and Sessions Judge Mosammat Ismat Ara Begum passed the order after hours of hearings from both prosecution and defense.

Following the court’s decision, Sultana Parvin was taken to jail in a prison van.

Ariful’s lawyer, Advocate Azizur Rahman Dulu, confirmed the development. The state was represented by Public Prosecutor Advocate Bazlur Rashid, while Advocate Fakhrul Islam appeared for the accused.

Earlier in the day, Sultana Parvin appeared in court around 11 AM but initially avoided standing in the dock. Ariful’s legal team objected, after which she was directed into the defendant’s stand.

The bail hearing resumed at 2:30 PM after an initial session and adjournment.

After evaluating both the arguments and the case documents, the court denied bail and ordered her incarceration.

Prior to this, Sultana had applied for anticipatory bail from High Court on August 3. Although the court declined her request, it instructed her to surrender to Kurigram court within four weeks.

She submitted a bail petition to the district court on August 21 but failed to appear in person, drawing further objection from Ariful’s legal team.

The case stems from a widely condemned incident on the night of March 13, 2020.

Ariful Islam, a journalist, was forcibly taken from his home by officials from district administration, including three magistrates and law enforcement members.
He was dragged from his home after publishing a report on the controversial naming of a public pond after DC Sultana Parvin.
He was taken to the riverbank, allegedly to be executed in a staged crossfire.
When that failed, he was taken to DC office, stripped and beaten. Later that night, a mobile court sentenced him to one year in jail for alleged possession of alcohol and drugs, without proper legal procedure. He was released the following day after nationwide outcry.

Following his release, Ariful filed a case against Sultana Parvin and others, including three magistrates.

The case was officially recorded on March 31, 2020, on High Court orders.

After a lengthy investigation by Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), charges were submitted earlier this year against four individuals: Sultana Parvin, then-RDC Nazim Uddin, Executive Magistrates Rintu Bikash Chakma and SM Rahat-ul Islam.
The remaining accused have yet to appear before court.
Speaking to reporters after the court order, Ariful said, “I was tortured in front of my family for publishing a report. I’ve waited five years for justice. Today, I received a glimmer of that. This verdict proves no one is above the law. I hope this brings peace to the journalist community and deters future abuse of power.”

His lawyer, Advocate Dulu, hailed the decision as a landmark, “This verdict reinforces the independence of judiciary and rule of law. It’s a significant milestone for justice in Bangladesh.”
The case continues, with proceedings against the remaining accused expected to resume soon.