9 protesting students freed on bail
Nine students, arrested on charges of vandalism and attack on police during their recent demonstrations for safe roads, have been released from jail on bail.
Dhaka Central Jails additional jailer, Zahidul Alam, told Prothom Alo that nine students got out of jail gate around 7:30pm on Sunday.
Another 13 students will walk out of jail tomorrow, Monday, he added.
Following criticism and demand from various civil rights groups, some 25 students were granted bail in cases filed for obstructing duties of police and vandalism during the recent demonstrations for safe road in the capital and elsewhere in the country.
Separate courts in Dhaka on Sunday granted the bail upon hearing petitions.
Dhaka metropolitan magistrate AKM Moinuddin Siddiqi granted bail to 15 students while chief metropolitan magistrate Saifuzzaman Hero granted bail to ten students after hearing their separate bail petitions.
The bail petitions were filed with the court today, Sunday. The hearing was held between around 11:00am and 12:00pm.
The lawyers in favour of the bail petitions said there were no specific charges against the arrested students. Their names are not mentioned in the case statement.
The lawyers also argued that the students were detained on suspicion.
According to the court officials and police, a total of 99 people have so far been arrested in 51 cases filed for obstructing duties of police and vandalism during the demonstrations demanding safe roads. Among the detainees, 52 are students.
Of 14 detainees, 10 students were granted bail in the case filed with Badda police station.
They are: Noor Mohammad, Zahidul Haque, Iftekhar Ahmed, Mohammad Hasan, Redwan Ahmed, Tariqul Islam, AHM Khalid Reza, Reza Rifat Akhlaq, Rashedul Islam and Mushfiqur Rahman.
Nine students got bail in the case filed with Dhanmondi police station.
The students are Sohad Khan, Masriqul Alam, Tamal Samad, Omar Siam, Mahmudur Rahman, Mahbubur Rahman, Iqbal Hasan, Minhaj Rahman and Naimur Rahman.
Those, who got bail in the case filed with Bhatara police station, are Mashad Mortuza Bin Ahad, Sakhawat Hossain, Shihab Shahriar, Azizul Karim Antor, Mahedi Hasan and Foyez Ahmed Adnan.
Some 14 students were detained for vandalism in Aftabnagar, and 8 others for vandalism at Basundhara.
On 7 August, the court put 22 students on a two-day remand for each.
Akhtar Hossain, the lawyer for Zahidul Haque and Nur Mohammad, said he was very happy securing the bail of his clients.
Family of the detained students expressed their satisfactions over the bail. Many of them crowded the court area since morning.
“It’s a happy day for me. None will understand the pains I’ve undergone since my son was arrested,” Mehedi Hasan’s father MA Masud Khan said.
“I’m very happy as we would observe the Eid festival together,” said Mabia, Nur Mohammad’s sister.
Several court officials said the court may hold hearing on bail petitions for others on Monday.
The students of different schools, colleges and universities took to the street across the country demanding safe roads after two of their fellows were killed in a road crash on Airport Road on 29 July.