Mushtaq Ahmed death: Court grants bail to six protesters

A Dhaka Court on Sunday granted bail to six out of seven leftist student leaders and activists arrested during protests over the death of writer Mushtaq Ahmed in jail.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Rajesh Chowdhury passed the order after the counsel for the six accused filed petitions seeking bail for his clients.

Md Tamjid Haider, Nozib Amir Chowdhury Joy, Md Akib Ahmed, Arafat Saad, Nazifa Jannat and Joyoti Chakravarty were granted bail on Sunday. No bail petition was filed for seventh accused ASM Tanjimur Rahman.

Police on February 27 filed a case against those protesting the death of author Mushtaq Ahmed in jail, on as many as 10 charges including attempted murder and obstruction of justice.

The seven protesters, who were detained near the Shahbagh intersection during a protest on February 26, were named as accused in the case along with 100-150 unidentified others.

Writer Mushtaq, who had been detained in a case under the Digital Security Act since last year, fell sick in Kashimpur jail and later died on February 25.

The death triggered demonstrations from February 26, demanding justice for Mushtaq’s death and the repeal of the draconian Digital Security Act. Scores of demonstrators brought out a vigil from the TSC area of Dhaka University campus around 7pm on the day.

Soon after they reached near the National Museum, just opposite the police station, policemen started baton-charging them, leaving some 30 protesters injured.

Police, however, in the case statement claimed that 15 of their colleagues also sustained injuries in the incident.