Judges of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court of Dhaka granted them bail in several cases on Sunday. Their families have expressed happiness while Gono Forum President senior lawyer Dr Kamal Hossain, Ganasasthaya Kendra founder Zafrullah Chowdhury and barrister Mainul Hosein have thanked the judges.
On Aug 6, the ninth day of protests calling for road safety, police were mobilised in front of several private universities in Dhaka and clashed with protesters. They arrested 81 people in 43 cases over alleged attacks on police and vandalism of properties during the protests. Fourteen of the 22 students arrested in cases at Badda and Bhatara police stations were remanded for questioning for two days. The sister of Jahidul Haque, a South East University student, rejoices after his release. After the remand ended on Aug 9, the court sent them to prison. Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Saifuzzaman Hero and Metropolitan Magistrate AKM Mainuddin Siddique granted the bail to 16 of the 22 students on Sunday. Ten of the students – Iftekhar Ahmed, Noor Mohammad, Zahidul Haque, Md Hassan, Redwan Ahmed, Tariqul Islam, KHM Khaled Reza, Md Reza Rifat Akhlak, Rashedul Islam and Mushfiqur Rahman – were arrested in connection with a case filed at Badda Police Station. The remaining six – Mashad Mortuza Bin Ahad, Sakhawat Hossain Nijhum, Shihab Shahriar, Azizul Karim Ontor, Mehedi Hassan and Foez Ahmed Adnan – were detained in connection with the Bhatara Police Station case. These students are from Aftabnagar’s East West University, Bashundhara’s North South University, Tejgaon’s South East University and Mohakhali’s BRAC University.
“The bail was granted on the grounds that Eid was coming up and that the students had exams to sit,” defence lawyer Akhtar Sohel told bdnews24.com. Nine more students got bail in a case at Dhanmondi Police Station, defence lawyer Mizanur Rahman told bdnews24.com. They are Sohad Khan, Masriqul Alam, Tamal Samad, Omar Siam, Mahmudur Rahman, Mahbubur Rahman, Iqbal Hasan, Minhaj Rahman and ‘Naimur’.
The charges against them include attacks on police and vandalism in Jigatala area. Metropolitan magistrates granted 16 other students bail in different cases in the afternoon, court police officials told the media.