5 former SUST students accused of funding movement against VC acquitted from case

A Sylhet court today (Thursday, October 20, 2022) acquitted five former students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) in a case filed during the movement demanding the removal of the university's vice chancellor.

Sylhet Metropolitan Magistrate Suman Bhuiyan ordered their acquittal after police submitted the final probe report in the case today, said Nawshad Ahmed Choudhury, the public prosecutor of Metropolitan Session Judge Court.

The exempted former students are Habibur Rahman Khan, Reza Noor Muin, AFM Nazmul Saqib, AKM Maruf Hossain, and Faisal Ahmad.

Jalalabad Police Station Inspector Abu Khaled Mamun, also the investigation officer of the case, today (October 20, 2022) submitted the final report to the court where he stated that the police did not find any involvement of the five accused in the case, the public prosecutor said.

Defendants' lawyer Supreme Court Advocate Kanon Alam said, "The investigation officer of the case mentioned factual error in the case and found no involvement of the accused. In light of the report, the court acquitted all five former students from the case."

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5 former SUST students get bail

During the movement demanding the VC's removal, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Police detained the five former students from different areas of Dhaka on January 24. The next day they were handed over to the Sylhet Metropolitan Police.

Police claimed that they were providing financial support to the students in the movement demanding removal of the university's vice chancellor.

On the same night, Sujat Ahmed Layek, organising secretary of Sylhet district unit of Bangladesh Tanti League, filed a case of intimidation and fraud against the five former SUST students and another 150 unnamed former students of the university.

Police produced the five to the court showing them arrested in the case and the court granted their bail on January 26.