Jubo Mohila League leader granted bail hours after being sent to jail with infant

A Jubo Mohila League leader has been granted bail just hours after a Dhaka court ordered her to be sent to jail along with her one-and-a-half-month-old infant in a case related to the 2024 July Uprising.

The bail order was issued this evening (21 April) by the court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Mostafizur Rahman following a hearing.

The accused was identified as Shilpi Begum, affiliated with Ward 26 of the Dhaka North Jubo Mohila League.

Defence lawyer Farzana Yasmin Rakhi confirmed the matter and said the court granted bail on a bond of Tk5,000 until submission of a police report on special consideration.

"We are hoping they will be released from jail tomorrow," she added.

According to the case statement, Dhaka University student Md Tahmid Mubin Ratul, a second-year student at Institute of Modern Languages and an activist of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement, was shot during protests in the Chankharpul area on 16 July 2024.

The complaint further alleges that on 23 July, around 6:45pm, Shilpi Begum, along with other named and 120-130 unidentified accused, attacked the student's residence with sharp weapons, pistols and explosives.

They allegedly vandalised furniture and electronic items, causing damage worth Tk5 lakh, looted goods worth Tk3 lakh and detonated explosives in front of the house.

The accused also allegedly assaulted the student's father, Md Sohel Rana, with the intent to kill. The case was filed on 25 January last year.

Earlier today, investigation officer Sheikh Nazrul Islam produced the accused before the court.

In the plea, he stated evidence had been found regarding her involvement in the case and that she was initially interrogated after being arrested from her residence at Railway Colony of the capital's Tejkunipara last night (20 April).