A Dhaka court yesterday ordered to show Shahabuddin Lasker alias Dhira, a Jamaat-e-Islami leader, arrested in connection with the killing of journalist Sheikh Belaluddin in Khulna.

Metropolitan Magistrate Jagannath Das Khokon passed the order when police was produced Dhira before the court after arresting him under Section 54 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

The court rejected the bail petition of the accused and directed the authorities concerned to send a custody warrant against Dhira in connection with the killing of Belal.

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Dhira was arrested from in front of Criminal Investigation Department office at Malibagh in the capital on Tuesday on suspicion of involvement in Belaluddin's killing, the forwarding report said, adding that he should be shown arrested in the murder case to find out vital clues to the murder.

Belal, Khulna bureau chief of the Dainik Sangram, who was fatally injured in a bomb attack on the night of February 5 at Khulna Press Club, succumbed to his injuries on February 11 at the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka.

Our staff correspondent adds from Khulna: Dhira was quizzed as a suspect of last year's August 21 grenade attacks in front of Awami League office in Dhaka, sources of Paltan Police Station in Dhaka said.

Criminal George Mian arrested by Dhaka Metropolitan Police last month named Dhira as one of those involved in the August 21 grenade attacks, the sources added.

Necessary formalities are under process to bring the Jamaat leader to Khulna in a day or two showing him arrested in Shiplu and Shagor murder cases in Khanjahan Ali Police Station of Khulna city, Deputy Commissioner of Khulna Metropolitan Police Akbar Ali told The Daily Star yesterday.

He will also be grilled to know the

motive behind and plan of Belal murder and sources of having remote controlled bombs and grenades, Akbar Ali said.

Dhira planted the remote control bomb at Khulna Press Club on the night of last February 5 which claimed the life of Belaluddin, said Goda yunus in the judicial confession made under Section 164 to the Court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Khulna.

The state minister for home named Dhira as the mastermind behind the killing in the March 31 meeting of the ministry's Monitoring Cell.

Dhira also made three abortive attempts on the life of Khulna city Awami League Secretary Alhaj Mizanur Rahman Mizan in 1998 and 1998.

Dhira has made fabulous wealth and property by tender manipulation using his close connection with top leaders of an underground party, intelligence sources said, adding that Dhira became angry with journalist Belal when the latter started reporting about his criminal activities and tender manipulation.