Editorial Desk :
The private university students arrested on charges of vandalism and attacking policemen during protests for safe roads have repeatedly been denied bail in the last one and a half weeks. All 22 students appealed together for bail on August 7 and August 9 and got rejected. Four of them sought bail again on Sunday and eight others yesterday. But their prayers were turned down again.
However, the ones who attacked protesters and journalists with sticks and machetes remain untouched. Similarly, quota reform leaders are languishing in jail while those who assaulted and injured the reformists have faced no consequence. The 22 students of East West, North South, Southeast and Brac universities were arrested on August 6 following clashes between students and police allegedly aided by ruling party men.
Yet again on August 14, 12 of them sought bail and got rejected. Even a mentally ill student was denied bail for the fourth time on August 17. A senior journalist and also photographer is in jail as an accused. But their prayers were turned down again and again. The reasons for being denied bail remains unknown-after all, what acts of injustice have they committed to deserve this?
It is unbelievable that miscreants who attacked road safety demonstrators and journalists were not accused in any of the cases. The police initiated cases against students for attacking them but those whose pictures were shown in media involved directly in violent confrontation are not among students facing criminal cases.
Appeals are pouring from international community and our own people for not treating the children as political victims and freeing them. The government is being wrongly advised by those who see insecurity of power everywhere.
The harsh truth remains that the students did not commit
any such big crime that they cannot even be enlarged on bail pending their trial. To be sure, the court refused bail at the instance of the prosecution which is far from independent. So the government is the main actor behind refusal of bail to our children.
Coming Eid-ul Azha is a big religious festival and the parents are anxiously expecting the children to be reunited with them. They have come out for street demonstration appealing for the release of their children, our children. But the government is silent.
But we cannot also ignore the harsh truth that the court refused bail to our children most unjustly. The court that has refused bail can also grant bail. The government can use the lame excuse of court cases to say it is not for the government to interfere.
That is why we are of the strong view that the court should be approached afresh showing Eid as a new ground collectively by human rights organisations and family members praying for bail. Granting bail is the court’s discretion and the court must exercise it judiciously and humanly without interference.
The private university students arrested on charges of vandalism and attacking policemen during protests for safe roads have repeatedly been denied bail in the last one and a half weeks. All 22 students appealed together for bail on August 7 and August 9 and got rejected. Four of them sought bail again on Sunday and eight others yesterday. But their prayers were turned down again.
However, the ones who attacked protesters and journalists with sticks and machetes remain untouched. Similarly, quota reform leaders are languishing in jail while those who assaulted and injured the reformists have faced no consequence. The 22 students of East West, North South, Southeast and Brac universities were arrested on August 6 following clashes between students and police allegedly aided by ruling party men.
Yet again on August 14, 12 of them sought bail and got rejected. Even a mentally ill student was denied bail for the fourth time on August 17. A senior journalist and also photographer is in jail as an accused. But their prayers were turned down again and again. The reasons for being denied bail remains unknown-after all, what acts of injustice have they committed to deserve this?
It is unbelievable that miscreants who attacked road safety demonstrators and journalists were not accused in any of the cases. The police initiated cases against students for attacking them but those whose pictures were shown in media involved directly in violent confrontation are not among students facing criminal cases.
Appeals are pouring from international community and our own people for not treating the children as political victims and freeing them. The government is being wrongly advised by those who see insecurity of power everywhere.
The harsh truth remains that the students did not commit
any such big crime that they cannot even be enlarged on bail pending their trial. To be sure, the court refused bail at the instance of the prosecution which is far from independent. So the government is the main actor behind refusal of bail to our children.
Coming Eid-ul Azha is a big religious festival and the parents are anxiously expecting the children to be reunited with them. They have come out for street demonstration appealing for the release of their children, our children. But the government is silent.
But we cannot also ignore the harsh truth that the court refused bail to our children most unjustly. The court that has refused bail can also grant bail. The government can use the lame excuse of court cases to say it is not for the government to interfere.
That is why we are of the strong view that the court should be approached afresh showing Eid as a new ground collectively by human rights organisations and family members praying for bail. Granting bail is the court’s discretion and the court must exercise it judiciously and humanly without interference.
