A court in Dhaka has rejected bail applications filed on behalf of 27 people arrested from the central office of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Jasad) in Gulistan.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Nazmin Akter passed the order on Monday, 28 September, after hearing arguments from both sides.
The accused were represented by lawyers Nilanjana Rifat Surabhi and Taslima Jahan Popy, who sought bail for their clients. The court, however, rejected the applications.
The 27 people are Didarul Alam Tuhin, Iman Ahmed Emon, Molla Mohammad Shahjahan Siraj, Joy Sarker, Miraj Ahmed, Miraj Malitha, Robiul Islam, Milan Kumar Mohanta, Kawsar Hossain, Sri Anjan Shil, Jalal Uddin Mondal, Abdul Latif, Shamim Ahmed, Ahmed Ahsan Habib, Sujon Ali, Tasikul Islam, Saifullah Sayek, Nayan Ali, Sajidul Islam Tuhin, Tajul Islam, Nishkar Samrat Hossain Talukdar, Anwar Hossain, Alamgir Hossain, Al Amin Hawladar, Tushar Ali, Rashidul Haque and Mir Muktisur Rahman.
The case concerns allegations that the accused created an unstable and disorderly situation inside the Jasad office while chanting the slogan ‘Joy Bangla’.
On Sunday, Sub-Inspector Nazmul Islam of Paltan Model Police Station sought an order to keep the 27 people in custody. According to the police application, they were detained at around 4.10pm on Saturday with the assistance of police and people present in the area.
The application stated that the accused could not provide satisfactory explanations when questioned about their presence at the scene. Police said they had initially suspected that the individuals might have been involved in a cognisable offence and sought their detention for the sake of a proper investigation under Section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
The arrests followed a police operation at the Jasad central office in Gulistan on Saturday afternoon. The operation began at around 3pm, after which a number of prison vans were brought to the premises and people inside were taken to Paltan Police Station.
Police initially took around 280 to 300 people into custody, according to an estimate given by a senior police officer following the operation. The detainees were subsequently subjected to verification and screening.
After the initial checks, most of those taken into custody were released. The 27 individuals were shown arrested under Section 54 and produced before the court.
The court later ordered that they be sent to jail, after which their lawyers sought bail. Monday’s hearing therefore focused on whether the 27 accused should be granted temporary release while the legal process continues.
The police allegations remain subject to investigation and judicial proceedings. The rejection of bail does not amount to a final determination of guilt. The specific role, if any, of each accused will have to be established through the relevant legal process.
The case has also drawn attention because the arrests followed a large-scale operation at a political party office, with hundreds of people initially taken into custody before the authorities completed their verification. The latest court order concerns only the bail applications of the 27 people who were subsequently shown arrested.
