In May 2005, Mahmudur Rahman announced a deal with the US company Vulcan Inc. to invest $1.6 billion in new power and fertiliser plants, projected to increase Bangladesh's energy capacity by nearly 50 percent.

The Hindustan Times said the suit and issuance of related arrest warrants, was an example of "persecution of intellectuals critical of the government" and the persons sued were renowned in their field.

[28][29] The following month, Mahmudur Rahman participated in talks for a transborder natural gas pipeline from Burma's Arakan State to India, to pass through Bangladesh.

The deal was shelved in early October 2005 after Bangladesh asked for additional trade concessions, and Burma and India chose to develop a direct route between them.

In 2006, Mahmudur Rahman accused Burma and India of having encroached on thousands of square miles of Bangladeshi territorial waters for natural gas exploration.

[30][31][32] Mahmudur Rahman was involved in talks between the government and India's Tata Group in early 2006 over a $300 million proposal to build steel and fertiliser factories, as well as a power plant.

[37] In 2006, Mahmudur Rahman urged calm, saying, "This incident has sent the wrong message to foreign investors, which we cannot afford at all when we are struggling hard to woo more and more investment.

According to the then Presidential Adviser and Minister Mukhlesur Rahman Chowdhury, Army Chief, Lt. Gen. Moeen was the main force in the military intervention and declaration by President Iajuddin Ahmed of a state of emergency on 11 January 2007.

[43][44][45][46] On 31 March 2007, the Establishment Ministry (under the caretaker government) announced that it had completed a three-person inquiry into the actions of some of the senior officials at the November 2006 meeting with ex-energy advisor Mahmudur Rahman.

In October 2008, shortly before the December election, Mahmudur Rahman filed a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Commission, against its chair General Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury.

[58] On September 10, 2023, a cultural vigil was organised by the South Asian Policy Initiative (SAPI) and Global Voice for Humanity to commemorate the United Nations International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearance (August 30).

[59] Earlier in 2022, SAPI organised a campaign and rally in front of the NSW parliament house on occasion of International Day of Victims of Enforced Disappearance, in presence of First Nation Representatives, and lead speaker senator David Shoebridge, a leader of the Australian Greens.

"[64] On 2 October 2009, Amar Desh reported that the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission had hired Indian employees, and that their presence threatened state security.

[69] Also in response to the article on Hasina and Chowdhury, Awami League members had already filed 24 defamation charges against Amar Desh before the energy minister did.

[53][54][71] According to Reporters without Borders, Mohammad Hasmat Ali, publisher of Amar Desh, the previous day had been taken by the National Security Intelligence, interrogated, and forced to sign two blank pieces of paper.

NSI agents later filled these in with the following statements: Several days later, the leaders of around 25 newspapers in Bangladesh signed a letter which demanded that the ban on Amar Desh publication be rescinded.

[7][8] Reporters Without Borders released a statement saying, The Awami League government is clearly unable to tolerate criticism from this opposition newspaper and, in particular, its coverage of the controversial award of energy contracts to foreign companies.

Many national figures arrived to welcome his release, including the film maker Chashi Nazrul Islam, writer Farhad Mazhar, journalist Abdul Hye Shikdar, and former Inspector-General of Police M. A.

They said that the government was disregarding the 2 February 2011 legislation passed by Parliament, which had "nullified the provision of issuing arrest warrants against newsmen in defamation cases.

[88][89] After charges were filed, Mahmudur Rahman avoided arrest by spending the next months in his newspaper's offices, leaving only to seek anticipatory bail.

[12][90][91] In protesting the charges, Amnesty International said, "The government of Bangladesh must ensure that everyone, in particular journalists and editors, are free to express their views and opinion peacefully without being harassed, intimidated, detained or tortured.

The 2013 Shahbag protests, supported by many students and younger people, began 5 February 2013 in Dhaka after one of the men convicted of war crimes was sentenced to life imprisonment rather than death, as two others were.

[92] On 24 February, protest leaders called for the arrest of Mahmudur Rahman, accusing him of inciting communal violence and sedition because of Amar Desh coverage of bloggers and activists.

[96] Noting that blasphemy laws covered "hurting religious sentiment," the government charged four bloggers of eleven it identified as posting anti-Muslim material.

[93] Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists have criticised both the legal harassment of Mahmudur Rahman and the arrest of bloggers as hampering freedom of the press in Bangladesh.

[96][98] On 11 April 2013, Bangladesh Police finally arrested Mahmudur Rahman on charges of sedition related to the hacked Nizamul Huq-Ziauddin conversations, other cyber-crimes, and inciting violence.

[111] Farhad Mazhar, a journalist and family friend, had seen marks on Mahmudur Rahman's body that appeared to be signs of torture while in police confinement.

[113] During his detention, Rahman started a hunger strike on 15 April to demand continued publication of the paper and the dropping of charges against his mother and the 19 printers.

Nurul Kabir, editor of the competing daily, New Age, said, "I have serious disagreement with the editorial policy of Mahmudur Rahman and the most of the contents that his paper Amar Desh disseminates, but I have no doubt that the government has arrested him primarily because of his active support for the opposition political camps.

"[126] After a Dhaka court accepted charges against 41 opposition politicians related to protests, BNP committee member MK Anwar spoke before a rally at the National Press Club.