Dhaka: A Dhaka court on Wednesday placed BNP chief’s adviser and journalists’ union leader Shawkat Mahmud on a three-day police custody for questioning in an arson case filed with the Ramna police.

Judge of the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court Shahriar Mahmud Adnan issued the order when Detective Branch sub-inspector Shafiqul Islam, also the investigation officer of the case, produced him before the court seeking 10-day custody for quizzing after showing him arrested in the arson case.

The court also turned down a bail petition filed by his counsel Masud Ahmed Talukder.

Earlier 9 January, a group of miscreants hurled a petrol bomb on a private car in the city’s Moghbazar area in front of Celebration Community Centre, leaving its driver injured with burns.

Later, the driver, Abul Kalam Azad, was admitted to the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital where he succumbed to his injures on 15 January.

Sub-inspector Atiqur Rahman Biswas then filed a case with Ramna police in this connection.

Earlier on Tuesday morning, DB arrested Shawkat Mahmud from in front of Samurai Convention Centre in the capital’s Panthapath area.

Shawkat Mahmud was arrested in three cases—arson attacks on vehicles, vandalising vehicles and crude bomb blasts in the city’s Jatrabari area—said Deputy Commissioner (Media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Muntasirul Islam.

A press conference of Adarsha Dhaka Andolan, an electoral platform of pro-Bangladesh Nationalist Party professionals, was scheduled to be held at Samurai Convention Centre on Tuesday morning.