24 Buet students, 8 others granted bail 2 days after arrest during Tanguar Haor tour

A Sumanganj court on Wednesday granted bail to 32 people including 24 students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) who were arrested during their trip to Sunamganj’s Tanguar Haor.

Judge Farhan Sadik of Judicial Magistrate Court-4 of Sunamganj passed the order.

The hearing on bail and remand petitions took place at 12 pm on Wednesday in the accused’s absence but their guardians’ presence.

Taibur Rahman Babul, the lawyer of the accused, said the court granted bail to 32 people on bond of Tk 5000 each.

In a protest at the Buet campus on Tuesday, the guardians of the students said the law enforcers arrested them in a false case intentionally to harass them.

Police detained 34 people, including 24 Buet students while they were visiting Tanguar Haor in Tahirpur upazila of Sunamganj district on Sunday.

Rashedul Kabir, sub-inspector of Tahirpur Police Station, filed a case against them under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

All of them were produced before the court on Tuesday.

The accused went to Tanguar Haor around 7am on Sunday by a boat. A team of police from Tahirpur police station on two speed boats obstructed them while they were heading towards Tekerhat tourist spot and detained the students and two boatmen—Ahadul Mia and Muhaddis Mia.

Later, they were taken to Tahirpur Police Station.

Syed Iftekhar Hossain, officer-in-charge of Tahirpur Police Station, said they gathered in the area in a bid to hold a clandestine meeting and tried to carry out criminal activities there to embarrass the government.

A press release, issued by Additional Superintendent of Sunamganj police (Amin) Abu Syed, said after primary interrogation it is known that all the arrestees led by Afif Anwar, Baitul Mal Affairs Secretary of Buet unit Islami Chhatra Shibir, gathered there aiming to disturb public safety and create anarchic situation through anti-government activities.

Police also seized 33 mobile phone sets, leaflets and other documents from their possession.