Dhaka, Dec. 15 -- Journalist Anis Alamgir has told a Dhaka court that the allegation against him, that his "incendiary" statements have endangered "public safety", is "false" and a "staged drama".

Saying he would not stop speaking as a journalist, he told the court: "If Chief Advisor Dr Muhammad Yunus wants to turn all of Bangladesh into a prison, then he can do that."

He was speaking on Monday evening at the hearing of a seven-day remand petition in a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act filed at Uttara West Police Station, in the court of Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Jashita Islam.

A team from the Detective Branch picked him up after 8pm on Sunday, saying they wanted to question him at the DB office.

Around midnight, ...