Journalist Anis Alamgir Monday denounced allegations against him as “false” and a “staged drama,” telling a Dhaka court that he would continue speaking out despite the government’s attempts to intimidate him.

“If Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus wants to turn all of Bangladesh into a prison, then he can do that,” Alamgir declared during the hearing on a seven-day remand petition under the Anti-Terrorism Act. The case was filed at Uttara West Police Station.

The hearing took place in the court of Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Jashita Islam on Monday evening.

Alamgir was picked up by a Detective Branch team late Sunday evening and brought in for questioning. Around midnight, a man named Arian Ahmed, identified as a member of an organisation called the “July Revolutionary Alliance,” filed a case against Alamgir and three others, alleging “conspiracy to destabilise the state and inciting a banned organisation.”

The other accused are actress Meher Afroz Shaon, model Maria Kispotta, and television host Imtu Ratish Imtiaz.

At the hearing, investigating officer Inspector Muniruzzaman of Uttara West Police Station requested a seven-day remand, citing social media posts and television appearances by the accused. According to the petition, Alamgir had allegedly claimed on a private talk show that the Awami League’s “undeclared leaders have shaken the government.” Shaon and Imtiaz reportedly mocked a government operation to recover cash from lockers on their verified social media accounts.

Dhaka Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Omar Faruk Faruqi argued that Alamgir’s statements could incite public unrest and target banned political groups, warning the court that his remarks on television were “provocative and dangerous.”

However, defence lawyer Nazneen Akhter vigorously opposed the remand. She emphasised Alamgir’s credentials as a respected journalist and war correspondent, asserting that he had never compromised his integrity or incited violence. “He is a teacher, a writer, and a journalist who has always spoken in the public interest,” she said.

Alamgir himself challenged the allegations, insisting that his comments were taken out of context and aimed at warning against political violence. “Everything the prosecution has alleged is false. This is a staged drama. I spoke in response to attacks and lockdowns orchestrated by Awami League supporters. These were warnings, not incitements,” he said.

He also rejected claims of links to any political organisation, noting that his only connection to Shaon was a brief encounter at a cultural programme years ago.

The court ultimately granted police five days’ remand to interrogate Alamgir further.

The case has sparked a fierce debate over press freedom in Bangladesh. Supporters of Alamgir argue that the charges are politically motivated, while authorities maintain that they are necessary to safeguard “public safety” amid rising political tensions.

According to the case documents, investigators claim that “as a result of the anti-discrimination movement, fugitive Awami League supporters are conspiring to destabilise the country and damage state infrastructure.”

Alamgir’s defiant stance, combined with the high-profile nature of the case, has made him the centre of a national debate on the limits of free speech and the accountability of the interim government.