3 univ students denied bail again

Two Dhaka courts yesterday denied bail to three private university students accused of vandalism and attacking policemen during demonstrations for safe roads.

Twenty-two students of seven private universities, who were arrested on the charges in two cases filed with Badda and Bhatara police stations, have repeatedly been denied bail by courts.

The students appealed together for bail on August 7 and 9, but their petitions were rejected.

Four of them sought bail again on Sunday and eight others on Monday, but their prayers were also turned down.

The students of seven private universities -- East West, North South, Southeast, Brac, Independent University of Bangladesh (IUB), International University of Business Agriculture and Technology (IUBAT) and Asian University of Bangladesh -- were arrested on August 6 following clashes between students and police aided by alleged ruling party men in Bashundhara Residential and Bhatara areas. 

However, those who attacked protesters and journalists with sticks and machetes during the demonstrations remain untouched. Similarly, quota reform leaders are languishing in jail, while those who assaulted and hurt them have faced no consequences.

Though ruling party leaders and police repeatedly said action would be taken against the attackers of journalists and protestors, no one has been arrested yet.

The three students who sought bail yesterday are Fayez Ahmed Adnan of IUB and Aminul Ehsan Baizid of IUBAT and AHM Khalid Reza Tonmoy of East West University.

Of them, Fayez and Aminul stand accused in the case filed with Bhatara Police Station and Tonmoy in the case lodged with Badda Police Station.

Lawyer Forhad Hossain Niyon told a Dhaka court that his client Baizid was in his classroom when clashes between students and police erupted on August 6. So, his client should be granted bail in the case.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Kaisarul Islam rejected the bail of Fayez and Metropolitan Magistrate Satyabrata Sikder denied the bail of Aminul and Tonmoy.

In another development, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Keshob Roy Chowdhury yesterday fixed tomorrow for hearing a bail petition of North South University student Masad Mortuza Bin Ahad.

Forty-one people, including the 22 students, have been arrested in 29 cases filed over clashes in the capital during student demonstrations for road safety.

At least 20 others, including several students, were detained in nine cases filed under section 57 of the ICT Act on charges of spreading rumours, propaganda and fake news about the protest.

Six of the cases were filed with police stations in Dhaka and one each in Chittagong, Sirajganj and Bogra.

Alleged ruling party men who attacked road safety demonstrators and journalists were not accused in any of the cases.

The complainants of the 29 cases filed with 16 police stations mentioned that the attackers were unknown students and many of them were in school or college uniforms.

During the widespread demonstrations that followed the killing of two college students by a bus on July 29, alleged ruling party men and law enforcers attacked protesters in different areas of the capital, including Jhigatola, Dhanmondi, Science Laboratory intersection, Uttara and Mirpur.

Meanwhile, Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad has urged Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to take steps to release the students who have been arrested during the recent protest for safe road.

“Ensure unconditional release of the arrested students considering them your children,” Ershad, also special envoy to the PM, said in a press statement yesterday.