Random arrest on the streets
Woman entrepreneur Barnali Chowdhury Rupa was heading towards Dhanmondi after buying clothes from New Market on 5 August. She was intercepted by 'some people' who handed her over to the police near Medinova Medical Centre. The police showed her arrested in three cases, including attacking Awami League office in Dhanmoni on 4 August, said Barnali’s mother Ambia Khatun and sister Kaniz Fatema on Thursday.
How could Barnali, a 35-year-old businesswomen, be indicted in such cases?
The investigation officer of the case claimed they scanned Barnali’s mobile phone and found that she had distributed food among the demonstrating students demanding safe roads.
That testifies her involvement in attack and vandalism, according to the official.
Barnali’s lawyer HM Masud told Prothom Alo, the police have shown her arrested based on suspicion. She was put on a six-day remand.
Masud also claimed that his client did not know anything about the incidents.
The police filed three cases in the incidents that took place at Dhanmondi, accusing several hundred unnamed people. Barnali along with 13 others were arrested in those cases. Among the arrested, 12 are students of different private universities. The police don’t even have any specific information about the arrested.
Relatives of the arrested claimed they had been handed over to the police around Mirpur Road and Dhanmondi areas by activists of ruling party's student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League and Juba League, who were armed with stick and rod.
Some others were also detained form the areas but they were later released. Guardian of a released student alleged that he had to bribe the police to free his son.
Officer-in-charge of Dhanmondi police station Abdul Lotif denied such allegations.
“There were specific directions on us that no school-college students should be arrested. Besides, we didn’t arrest all of them, people did,” he said.
According to Dhaka Metropolitan Police, around 100 were arrested in 51 cases filed over violence and spreading rumors in social media centering the demonstration of students demanding safe roads following the death of two college students on 29 July.
Police and court sources said, Awami League filed two cases over attack on their party office accusing several hundred people, including BNP, Juba Dal and Chhatra Dal men. But, the law enforcement are yet to find the political affiliation of those who were detained randomly from the street.
Tamal, one of the 14 arrested in the case, is a student of Bangladesh University of Professionals.
His father Abdus Samad said, “Tamal is suffering from Bronchitis. He was at home at the time of the incident. The CCTV footage of the house will testify it. He was picked up by Bangladesh Chhatra League men the next day when he went out with his friends. He is severely ill now.”
Two brothers -- Mahmudur Rahman and Mahbubur Naeem -- were also arrested on the same day.
Their mother said, “They were indicted and the court has even granted a remand. What’s the use of writing these now?”
Three other boys were arrested form in front of Labaid Hospital in Dhanmondi while they were returning to their mess in Mohammadpur after visiting a patient in Birdem hospital.
One of the three arrested students is Mashrikul Alam. His father Shamsul Islam said, Mashrikul and his cousin Omar Siam went to visit an ailing relative while the police arrested them from Mirpur Road.
Another arrested student Gazi Imam Bukhari Sifat studies in ASA University. He was arrested from Kalabagan area while going to New Market with four other students on 5 August.
Sifat’s father Gazi Akkas said, “I have nothing to say. Everybody is enjoying ahead of Eid but my son is in jail. I want to humbly say, my son is not involved in politics. He didn’t even join the demonstration. Please have mercy on him.”
Sub-inspector Jayed Abdullah of Dhanmondi police station, investigation officer of one of the cases, told Prothom Alo that he himself didn’t arrest anybody in this connection.
According to him, BCL and Juba League men handed many people over at that time. Only those who were found involved after verification were shown arrested, he claimed.