Shillong: A court in Meghalaya on Wednesday framed charges against former Bangladesh minister Salahuddin Ahmed, who was arrested here for illegally entering India.
The court of Judicial Magistrate (First Class), K.M. Lyngdoh Nongbri, framed charge against Ahmed under the Foreigners Act, public prosecutor I.C. Jha told journalists after the hearing.
"During the hearing, the accused (Ahmed) informed the court that he wanted to be tried here (Shillong, capital of Meghalaya) even he did not plead guilty in the case," Jha said.
Meanwhile, the court has fixed the next hearing on July 30 for examination of evidences and witnesses.
On June 3, the Meghalaya police filed a chargesheet against Ahmed on charges of illegally entering India.
Earlier, a court had granted conditional bail to Ahmed,
Ahmed, the communications minister and MP during the government of BNP leader Khaleda Zia from 2001-06, was arrested on May 11 after people alerted authorities about a "suspicious man".
Ahmed - the joint secretary general and spokesman of the opposition BNP - claimed he was kidnapped by unidentified people from Uttara area in Dhaka on March 10. He said he does not remember how he came to Meghalaya.
