A court has sent Abdur Razzak Bin Solaiman Riad, a former leader of the Students Against Discrimination (SAD) movement and a student of Presidency University who recently came into the spotlight over an extortion case, to a two-day remand in an attempted murder case.
However, the bail applications of the other three accused in this case – Md Riadul Howlader, Md Alif Ahmed Ashik, and Sayem Sikder – have been granted.
On Thursday, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Sefatullah of Dhaka passed the order after hearing, following an application by the investigating officer. Sub-Inspector (SI) Moktar Hossain of the Prosecution Division confirmed this information.
Police arrested the accused at around 8:30pm on 26 February. The following day, they were sent to jail. APP Shamsuddoha Sumon of the state party confirmed the matter. Later, on March 1, the investigating officer of the case, Sub-Inspector (SI) Arman Ali of Gulshan Thana, filed an application seeking five days’ remand for the accused. The court set Thursday, 5 March, for the hearing in the presence of the accused.
During the hearing today, they were produced in court. The investigating officer presented arguments in favor of remand. Lawyer Zakir Hossain, representing Riad, and Sakhawat Hossain, representing the other three accused, filed bail applications seeking cancellation of the remand.
Sakhawat Hossain, the lawyer for the three accused, told the court, “They are job exam candidates. Considering this, we are praying for their bail.”
Nirjon Sardar Badhon, a student of Presidency University, filed the attempted murder case on 26 February, naming Riad and 10 others as accused. An additional 10-22 unidentified individuals were also made accused in the case.
The case statement alleges that Nirjon and his friends had previous enmity with the accused. Around 3:30pm on 26 February, when they met in room number 412 on the fourth floor of Presidency University, the accused asked him (Nirjon) to participate in the convocation.
While he was consulting with the university’s Proctor, Anisur Rahman, about the matter, the accused Riadul and Sayem, on Riad’s orders, attacked him with chairs, causing injuries to his back and chest.
The FIR states that Riad attacked Nirjon’s face with a switch gear knife with the intention of killing him. His nose was cut on the upper surface, causing severe injuries. At that time, he was beaten indiscriminately. When his friends and Presidency University teachers intervened, the accused threatened Nirjon with various forms of intimidation. Later, Gulshan Thana police arrived at the scene and detained the accused.
Last year, on 26 July, Riad was arrested in a case filed over demanding extortion at the residence of former MP Shammi Ahmed in Gulshan. After being released on bail in that case, he became implicated in this attempted murder case.
