Protests continue over Mushtaq’s death
Thirteen JCD men were placed on a 5-day remand over Sunday's clash with police at National Press Club
Protests across the country over the custodial death of writer Mushtaq Ahmed continued for the fourth straight day on Monday.
Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), Bangladesh Chhatra Odhikar Parishad and left-leaning political organisations staged demonstrations in different parts of the country, demanding abolition of the Digital Security Act, justice for writer Mushtaq Ahmed's custodial death and release of cartoonist Ahmed Kabir Kishore.
Various units of the JCD around the country took to the streets on Monday protesting 'police brutality on protesters'.
JCD units from Tejgaon College, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka Metropolitan, Tongi Government College marched against police, who charged batons and injured protestors during a protest on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the left-leaning protesters brought out a procession from Dhaka University's TSC area around 11.50am on Monday. After breaking police barricades at different points, they reached in front of Secretariat as part of their programme to besiege it. They staged protest there till 1pm.
Nine leftist student organisations jointly staged the protest. They scuffled with police while passing through the barricades. Later they started sit-in protests in front of the Secretariat. Later, they moved back to the TSC area from in front of the Secretariat.
They were protesting the custodial death of writer Mushtaq Ahmed.
Meanwhile, 13 JCD leaders and activists were placed on a 5-day remand over Sunday's clash with police at the National Press Club.
They were remanded in a case filed against around 300 people, including 47 leaders and activists of BNP and Chhatra Dal, over Sunday's clash with police at National Press Club.
Besides, around 250 unnamed people have been accused in the case.
Attempt to murder, attack and vandalism charges have been brought against the accused, the First Information Report of the case reads.
More than 100 were injured as Chhatra Dal men clashed with cops at Press Club on Sunday.
Police produced them before Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate's Court on Monday. After the hearing, Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Asaduzzaman Noor granted remand to each of them for five days.
The remanded accused are: Manjurul Alam, Ataur Rahman, Masud Rana, Shafiqul Islam, Shahiraj, Ahsan Habib Bhuiyan Raju, Kabir Hossain, Monowar Islam, Ariful Haque, Anichur Rahman, Khandaker Anik, Abu Hayat Md Zulfiqar, Atif Morshed and Ramzan.
According to the case statement, Chhatra Dal activists staged a protest rally in front of the National Press Club on Sunday without any permission.
On May 5 last year, RAB arrested cartoonist Ahmed Kabir Kishore and writer Mushtaq Ahmed from Kakrail and Lalmatia under the Digital Security Act for posting anti-government posts on Facebook.
Mushtaq Ahmed died at the Kashimpur Jail in Gazipur on 25 February.
Former vice president of Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu) Nurul Haque Nur demanded repeal of the Digital Security Act and release of the students arrested during protests over the death of writer Mushtaq Ahmed.
Addressing a gathering in front of the Raju Sculpture at Dhaka University on Monday, Nur said, "You have to fight for survival and take to the streets to resolve the issues. Let's start the fight by repealing this digital security law."
He also called upon all to participate in the march towards the Prime Minister's Office on March 3.
"A farce with the country's freedom fighters won't be accepted through the celebration of the golden jubilee of independence by keeping any fascist government in power," he added.
Nur also demanded the reopening of all educational institutions in the country immediately.