12 students produced in court, finally

The 12 students picked up by detectives allegedly six days ago were finally produced before a Dhaka court yesterday.

Two cases were filed with Tejgaon Industrial Police Station against them, police said.

In one case, all 12 were accused of assaulting policemen on August 6, while one of them, Tarek Aziz, was made the lone accused in another case filed under Information and Communication Technology Act on a charge of spreading rumours during the student demonstrations for road safety in August.

Each of the 12 students were placed on a two-day remand in the police assault case while Tarek Aziz was place on a further two-day remand in the ICT case.

The development came a day after family members of the 12 alleged that the students had been taken into DB custody on September 5. Police yesterday, however, said they were from picked up from Tejkunipara area on September 9.

The families on Sunday had asked the authorities to either release their children or produce them before a court if they had committed any crimes.

Masudur Rahman, deputy commissioner (Media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, yesterday told The Daily Star that the arrestees were leaders and activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir and they had tried to divert the student movement and deteriorate the law and order situation by spreading rumours.

The 12 students are-- Saifullah bin Mansur, Al Amin, Jahirul Islam Hasib, Mujahidul Islam, Jahangir Alam, Gazi M Borhan Uddin, Tarek Aziz, Mahfuz, Raihanul Abedin, Iftekhar Alam, Tarek Aziz and Mehedi Hasan Rajib.

Police claimed they recovered 12 sets of uniforms and 13 fake ID cards of different educational institutions, three laptops and some publications of Islami Chhatra Shibir from the detainees, all of which were collected in a bid to create anarchy during the movement.   

Besides, two of the 12 were among the 400 to 500 students from different colleges and universities, who took to the street in front of Ahsanullah University in Tejgaon Industrial area and threw brickbats at police, leaving at least four policemen injured, police said.

About the families' allegation of their children's confinement, Mashirul Rahman, deputy commissioner of Detective Branch (north) of the DMP, told The Daily Star that the statement of the parents were “not acceptable”.

“Conscious parents never support such acts from their children… The parents do not know what their sons are doing. So their statements are not acceptable,” he said. 

Police said the youths were leaders and activist of Shibir and they were involved in spreading rumours, attacking police and writing abusive words on some of the vehicles carrying important persons, including a judge, during the movement.

During a press briefing on Sunday at the Crime Reporters' Association, the family members alleged that many students were picked up from different messes in Tejgaon and Mohakahli on September 5.

All, except the 12, were released.

The family members also alleged that the detainees were tortured in DB custody, an allegation denied by police.

Mansur Rahman said his two sons--Saifullah and Sifat--were picked up from a student mess on that day. Sifat was released a day later while Saifullah was in DB custody, he alleged.

Meanwhile, rights body Ain o Salish Kendra condemned the alleged confinement of the students in DB custody.