Court sends 24 activists of Chhatra Odhikar to jail in cases filed by BCL
A Dhaka court has ordered to send 24 leaders and activists of Chhatra Odhikar Parishad to prison in two separate cases filed by members of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) after BCL carried out an attack during a meeting in remembrance of BUET (Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology) student Abrar Fahad at Dhaka University and later locked in clashes in Dhaka Medical College on Friday.
Magistrate Shahidul Islam of Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court passed the order on Saturday.
The court has fixed 11 October as the day of the hearing on the bail plea of accused 24 leaders and activists of the Chhatra Adhikar Parishad. Public prosecutor of the court, Hemayet Uddin Khan confirmed the matter to Prothom Alo.
Mujahidul Islam, the lawyer of the accused, said at the court that several of arrested are unwell. The court has ordered to ensure medical treatment of the accused in accordance with the jail code after an appeal was made for their treatment.
Earlier, the 24 leaders and activists of the Chhatra Odhikar Parishad were taken to the court on behalf of Shahbagh Police Station.
The Chhatra Odhikar Parishad on Friday afternoon, organised a meeting to mark the third death anniversary of BUET student Abrar Fahad at the foot of Raju Memorial Sculpture at the Dhaka University. At one point, the members and activists of Chhatra League carried out an attack there, chased them and ousted them from the campus.
It has been learned that two certain leaders of BCL filed the cases against the activists of Chhatra Odhikar Parishad. The detainees in these two cases were shown arrested and were presented before the court on Saturday morning by the Shahbagh police station.
Speaking to Prothom Alo on Saturday morning, a sub-inspector (SI) of the Shahbagh police station said, BCL organising secretary Nazim Uddin and Aminur Rahman filed two separate cases naming 25 leaders and activists of Chhatra Odhikar Parishad and accusing another 140-150 unidentified persons over the clash in Dhaka Medical College.
One of the accused has been shown “absconding” and the remaining 24 were sent to the CMM court. The accused in both cases are the same.
Prothom Alo tried to reach Nur Mohammad, officer–in-charge of Shahbagh police station, for his comment in this regard over the phone repeatedly. However, he didn’t respond.
Md Shahidullah, deputy commissioner (DC) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), Ramna Zone, told Prothom Alo, “Two cases have been lodged over the attacks which were carried out in areas under the Shahbagh police station yesterday (Friday). One of the plaintiffs filed the case on the allegation of being hit on the head in the clashes in front of Raju Sculpture Memorial and the other filed the case on the allegation of being punched on the face in front of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Meanwhile, Gono Adhikar Parishad brought out a procession, headed by their member secretary Nurul Haque, towards the CMM court from Paltan demanding the release of arrested leaders and activists of the Chhatra Odhikar Parishad.
Speaking to the newspersons after reaching in front of the CMM court, Nurul Haque said that they are ready to be imprisoned voluntarily if the activists of Chhatra Odhikar Parishad are not released.
On 6 October 2019, the body of Abrar Fahad, a second-year student of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Department, was recovered from BUET's Sher-e-Bangla hall. The court sentenced 20 people to death in the case filed over the killing of Abrar Fahad in December last year.
Five of the accused in the case were sentenced to life imprisonment. All the accused are expelled leaders and workers of Chhatra League’s BUET unit.