Families demand release of 12 students ‘picked up by cops’

Kabir Humayun: A group of parents and guardians yesterday demanded the release of their children, who were allegedly picked up by law enforcers, in Mohakhali and Tejgaon areas of Dhaka on September 5.
They urged the law enforcers to produce them before a court if the students are guilty.
At a press briefing held at Crime Reporters’ Association of Bangladesh (CRAB) in the capital, the relatives of the students told journalists that a total of 12 students were picked up by policemen from three spate messes in the two areas.
The detained students are: Al Amin, Jahirul Islam Hasib, Mujahidul Islam, Jahangir Alam, Saifullah Bin Mansur, Gazi M Borhan Uddin, Tarek Aziz, Mahfuz, Raihanul Abedin, Iftekhar Alam, Tarek Aziz and Mehedi Hasan Rajib.
The family members also alleged that law enforcers were supposed to produce the students before a court on September 7 but police did not do so till yesterday.
A police team launched a drive in Dhaka’s Mohakhali and Tejgaon areas on September 5 and detained the several students including the 12, said Mansur Rahman, father of one of the detained students Saifullah Bin Mansur.
Of the detainees, some students, including one named Sifat, were released from the office of Detective Branch (DB) of police but the rest 12 students were not released from the DB custody, he added.
The arrestees were tortured in the DB office, Mansur quoted Sifat as saying.
“We are deeply concerned about it as the law enforcers deny the arrests,” he said.
The families also urged human rights organigations, including National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), to raise their voices over the incident.
Contacted, DB Additional Commissioner Abdul Baten did not receive phone.