Police have arrested eight people, including a banned Bangladesh Chhatra League leader, his parents, siblings and friends, in a case over an alleged attack on police and an attempt to free him from custody in Sunamganj.
Seven of the accused were sent to jail by a court yesterday (1 November), while the Chhatra League leader’s 16-year-old sister was sent to a safe home because she is a minor.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate of Sunamganj Mohammad Jasim ordered seven of the accused to jail after they were produced before the court on Sunday afternoon.
The Women and Children Court sent the minor girl, Sabrina Chowdhury Rupkotha, to a safe home, Sunamganj Sadar Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Ratan Sheikh confirmed to The Business Standard.
The eight were arrested from a private hospital in Sylhet on Saturday night, police said.
The arrested include Sunamganj Sadar Upazila Chhatra League Organising Secretary Dewan Shahnewaz Chowdhury Prince, 20; his father Shah Rukh Raja Chowdhury, 46; mother Shammi Akter Poly, 38; brother Shahriyar Chowdhury Piyal, 20; sister Sabrina Chowdhury Rupkotha, 16; and three others identified as Ifat Alam Rabid, 21, Kawsar Ahmed Sohag, 21, and Takbir Rahman Tanhir, 20.
According to police, the case was filed over allegations that the accused attacked members of the police, obstructed them from carrying out their duties and attempted to free Prince from police custody.
Police said Prince, who was accused in a sabotage case, was arrested on Thursday (29 October) and taken to Sunamganj Sadar Model Police Station.
Shortly after being brought to the police station, he fell ill and was taken first to Sunamganj Sadar Hospital before being transferred to Sylhet for further treatment, police said.
Police alleged that Prince’s family members and friends later gathered at the hospital and created a mob before attacking police officers in an attempt to free him from custody.
According to the police’s version of events, the accused acted in concert to obstruct government officials from performing their duties and attempted to snatch Prince from police custody. They were also accused of attacking and assaulting police personnel with the alleged intention of causing serious harm.
Police further alleged that Prince attempted to escape custody by taking advantage of his medical treatment.
Following the incident, Sub-Inspector Md Farid Hossain of Sunamganj Sadar Model Police Station filed a case naming 11 people and 15 to 20 unidentified others as accused.
The arrests come days after Prince’s family alleged that he had been tortured in police custody.
According to his family, Prince was arrested in a sabotage case and fell ill within hours of his arrest, after which he was taken to Sunamganj Sadar Hospital. His family alleged at the time that he had been subjected to torture while in police custody.
Police have presented a different account, maintaining that he fell ill after being taken to the police station and was subsequently provided medical treatment.
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