14 Chhatra League activists sent to jail after remand over alleged preparations for sabotage
Eleven of the accused sought bail after completing three-day remand; three did not seek bail.
A Dhaka court today (2 October) sent 14 activists of the banned Chhatra League to jail after they completed their three-day remand in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act over an alleged gathering at the residence of former Barguna-2 Awami League lawmaker Showkat Hasanur Rahman Rimon in the capital's Uttara.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Albiruni Mir passed the order today after the investigating officer, Uttara West Police Station Sub-Inspector Iqbal Hossain, sought to keep the accused in jail.
Prosecution Division Sub-Inspector Helal Uddin confirmed the matter, saying 11 of the accused had sought bail while three did not.
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The court rejected the 11 bail petitions and ordered all 14 to be sent to jail, he added.
On 28 September, police arrested the 15 during a raid at Rimon's house on Road 20 in Sector 7 of Uttara following a tip-off.
On 29 September, the court granted three days' remand to 14 of the accused and one day to Farzana, who was also arrested in the case. Farzana was sent to jail after completing her remand on 30 September.
At the 29 September remand hearing, Prosecutor Muhammad Shamsud Doha Sumon said the accused had gathered to implement a plan to bring ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina back and were preparing for destructive activities. Defence lawyer Morshed Hossain Shahin, however, said the accused had gathered to cut a cake and hold a milad mahfil marking Hasina's birthday.
According to the case statement, activists of the banned Chhatra League, Jubo League and Swechhasebak League had gathered at the house to allegedly conspire to commit anti-state offences and prepare for terrorist activities aimed at destabilising the state and damaging its infrastructure.
Police said around 20 to 22 other people managed to flee from the place during the raid.
During a search, police allegedly recovered 20 pages from a table drawer containing the names and biographical details of 20 people seeking posts in the Kachua Union unit of Swechhasebak League in Barguna's Patharghata.
The recovered documents carried the logos of the Awami League and Swechhasebak League, whose political activities are currently banned, photographs of Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and the slogans "Joy Bangla, Joy Bangabandhu," according to the case statement.
The arrested activists told police during questioning that they were members of the banned Uttara West Thana Chhatra League, the case statement said.
An Anti-Terrorism Act case was subsequently filed with Uttara West Police Station.
