Detained DU teachers taken on fresh remand
Friday, 31 August 2007
Dhaka University teachers Anwar Hossain and Harunur Rashid, arrested following student rioting, were taken on a four-day fresh remand Thursday after they were produced in court, report agencies.
Before being taken in police custody for further interrogation, Anwar, Dhaka University Teachers' Association (DUTA) general secretary, apologised for the incident involving an army officer during the campus violence.
The DU teachers, arrested from their Fuller Road residences on August 23 midnight by army-led joint forces, were earlier taken on a four-day police remand on August 25 for interrogation.
On completion of the remand, the two teachers were produced before the court of magistrate Saleuddin on Thursday afternoon. They were shown arrested in a separate case of breaking the Emergency Power Rules filed with Shahbagh police station.
Police sought 10 days remand, but the magistrate granted four days for interrogation.
Meanwhile, the detained Dhaka University Teachers' Association general secretary, Professor Anwar, expressed his great sorrow over students' attack on an army official during the campus unrest.
Talking to reporters at the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court, Hossain said army is the symbol of the state and its sovereignty. "So any attempt against the army is very painful," he said.
The DU professor said all should remember that this army is not the army of Pakistan but the army of Bangladesh, born through war of independence.
"It is not only hurting the army but also an assault on the uniform, and for that reason army persons feel embarrassed about the incident," Anwar said and expressed his deep sorrow about the incident.
He also sought apology for the attempt against an army official, on behalf of the student community.
However, Anwar and Harun accused interrogators of mental torture by beating other people in front of them in custody.
Physical assaults on other people in front of the teachers were a brutal tactic of interrogation, they told the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court in Dhaka.
The scenes of physical torture on others have forced them to pass sleepless nights, they alleged.
The teachers said they had no idea where they had been kept over the past few days although the charges against them are being pursued by Shahbagh police.
Both of them said they were sure the place of their detention was not Shahbagh Police Station.
They said they were taken to an undisclosed location-blindfolded.
According to the detainees' families, they did not have any idea where they had been taken until they were produced before court.
Only then it became clear for the first time that charges of giving "provocative statements and instigating recent violent protests on Dhaka University campus" had been brought against them.
They have denied the charges.
In the new remand prayer, the police said: "The two teachers instigated the violence at Dhaka University, which was the breach of emergency powers rules."
"They led a procession amid slogans from Fuller Road past Shaheed Minar to Doel Chattar to Bangla Academy. When the police intercepted them, they attacked the police with sticks and brickbats. They led a series of violent activities on the campus," the appeal said.
The raft of allegations includes leading attacks on Nilkhet Police Outpost and damage to government and private property.
The counsels for the teachers urged the court to reject the remand prayer and to issue an order for medical treatment of the accused.
One of the teachers is a diabetic patient and the other has high blood pressure, the lawyers said.
On the appeal for medical treatment, the court said: "The investigating officer will take care of it. The remand has been approved for the sake of investigation."
After a 30-minute hearing, the two teachers were led away from court amid tight police protection.
Before being taken in police custody for further interrogation, Anwar, Dhaka University Teachers' Association (DUTA) general secretary, apologised for the incident involving an army officer during the campus violence.
The DU teachers, arrested from their Fuller Road residences on August 23 midnight by army-led joint forces, were earlier taken on a four-day police remand on August 25 for interrogation.
On completion of the remand, the two teachers were produced before the court of magistrate Saleuddin on Thursday afternoon. They were shown arrested in a separate case of breaking the Emergency Power Rules filed with Shahbagh police station.
Police sought 10 days remand, but the magistrate granted four days for interrogation.
Meanwhile, the detained Dhaka University Teachers' Association general secretary, Professor Anwar, expressed his great sorrow over students' attack on an army official during the campus unrest.
Talking to reporters at the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court, Hossain said army is the symbol of the state and its sovereignty. "So any attempt against the army is very painful," he said.
The DU professor said all should remember that this army is not the army of Pakistan but the army of Bangladesh, born through war of independence.
"It is not only hurting the army but also an assault on the uniform, and for that reason army persons feel embarrassed about the incident," Anwar said and expressed his deep sorrow about the incident.
He also sought apology for the attempt against an army official, on behalf of the student community.
However, Anwar and Harun accused interrogators of mental torture by beating other people in front of them in custody.
Physical assaults on other people in front of the teachers were a brutal tactic of interrogation, they told the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court in Dhaka.
The scenes of physical torture on others have forced them to pass sleepless nights, they alleged.
The teachers said they had no idea where they had been kept over the past few days although the charges against them are being pursued by Shahbagh police.
Both of them said they were sure the place of their detention was not Shahbagh Police Station.
They said they were taken to an undisclosed location-blindfolded.
According to the detainees' families, they did not have any idea where they had been taken until they were produced before court.
Only then it became clear for the first time that charges of giving "provocative statements and instigating recent violent protests on Dhaka University campus" had been brought against them.
They have denied the charges.
In the new remand prayer, the police said: "The two teachers instigated the violence at Dhaka University, which was the breach of emergency powers rules."
"They led a procession amid slogans from Fuller Road past Shaheed Minar to Doel Chattar to Bangla Academy. When the police intercepted them, they attacked the police with sticks and brickbats. They led a series of violent activities on the campus," the appeal said.
The raft of allegations includes leading attacks on Nilkhet Police Outpost and damage to government and private property.
The counsels for the teachers urged the court to reject the remand prayer and to issue an order for medical treatment of the accused.
One of the teachers is a diabetic patient and the other has high blood pressure, the lawyers said.
On the appeal for medical treatment, the court said: "The investigating officer will take care of it. The remand has been approved for the sake of investigation."
After a 30-minute hearing, the two teachers were led away from court amid tight police protection.