Three remanded over New Market clash

A Dhaka court has put three people, including a Dhaka College student, on three days' remand each, in two separate cases filed over the recent clashes between New Market traders and the college students.

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) had arrested them on Wednesday.

The court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Musharraf Hossain on Friday granted the remand plea after the hearing.

Police produced the three accused – Md Moazzem Hossain Sajib, Mehedi Hasan Bappi and Md Mahmudul Hasan Siam – in court and sought a seven-day remand for Siam in a murder case over the death of Nahid, a delivery man.

Siam's lawyer submitted a plea, seeking bail for the accused and a cancellation of remand. The lawyer for the state opposed the bail plea and after hearing both sides, the court granted a three-day remand for Siam.

At the same time, the police also applied for a seven-day remand for Bappi and Sajib in a case filed for obstructing the police in the performance of their duties. Again, the lawyer for the accused applied for bail and sought cancellation of remand. After hearing both parties, the court, once again, put both the accused on three days remand.

On Sunday, police produced five Dhaka College students in court after a two-day remand in the Nahid murder case. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mehedi Hasan ordered the authorities to send them to jail. They are Abdul Qayyum of the Accounting Department, Palash and Irfan of the Sociology Department, Faisal of the Bangla Department, and Junaid of the Islamic History Department.

On 18 April, a clash erupted around 10pm between students of Dhaka College and businessmen and employees of New Market, when two Dhaka College students were beaten up in New Market. The clash lasted for about two and a half hours.

Shopkeepers alleged that the students were beaten up as they had refused to pay the bill at an eatery.

Police brought the situation under control at night, but the clashes started up again from 10am the next day (19 April), and continued till evening. Two people, Nahid, a delivery man, and Mursalin, a shop employee, were killed while more than 50 others, including journalists and students, were injured in clashes at the Nilkhet intersection.

Police subsequently registered four cases against 1,400 people in connection with the clashes.

On 20 April, a murder case was filed with the New Market police station following a complaint by Nahid's father, Nadim Hossain, accusing a number of unnamed people.