Dhaka: A court in Dhaka on Saturday sent BNP chairperson’s adviser and journalists' union leader Shawkat Mahmud to jail on the expiry of his three-day police custody in an arson case filed with Ramna Police Station in Dhaka.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Waez Kuruni Khan Chowdhury passed the order when Shawkat Mahmud was produced before the court.

Sub-inspector Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman, also general recording officer of the court, said no bail petition was submitted for Shawkat as he had no lawyer.

Earlier on 19 August, the court placed Shawkat Mahmud in police custody for three days after his arrest from in front of Samurai Convention Centre in the city’s Panthapath area on 18 August. He was shown arrested in an arson case filed with Ramna Police Station.

On 9 January, a group of miscreants hurled a petrol bomb at a private car in 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 Station in this connection.

On 18 August, Detective Branch (DB) of police arrested Shawkat Mahmud.

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.