Narayanganj Correspondent:

Former Narayanganj City Corporation mayor Selina Hayat Ivy has appeared in court in a case filed over an alleged attack on police.

She appeared before Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Nurul Huda Chowdhury’s court in Narayanganj on Tuesday, her lawyer Awlad Hossain said.

After the hearing, Ivy said: “I’m a criminal despite being innocent.”

She was released on bail on Jun 4 after spending 391 days in Kashimpur Female’s Central Jail in Gazipur.

The former mayor had been arrested from her Debhog residence “Chunka Kutir” in a murder case linked to the Anti-discrimination Student Movement, and was subsequently shown arrested in 12 other murder and attempted murder cases.

Tuesday’s appearance came 55 days after her release.

Leaving the court, Ivy said: “I have always protested against killings, torture and oppression in Narayanganj. And now I am the criminal.

“Well, Allah will deliver justice, and the people of Narayanganj will bear witness.”

She left the court premises shortly after and headed back to her Debhog residence in the same vehicle she had arrived in.

Supporters of Ivy had gathered outside the court from the morning, and law enforcers were deployed to prevent any disorder.

Her lawyer Awlad said the day she was arrested, law enforcers’ vehicles escorting her to the district police super’s office came under attack, prompting a case at Sadar Model Police Station.

Tuesday’s hearing was scheduled for the acceptance of the chargesheet in that case, and Ivy appeared as required under court procedure while out on bail, he added.

He said a plea seeking her exemption from personal appearance had been filed on grounds of her prolonged imprisonment and poor health, which the court has approved.

She will not need to appear in person again until the trial begins, as per the lawyer.