Jubo Mohila League leader Shilpi released from jail with infant

Jubo Mohila League leader Shilpi Begum has been released from jail along with her one-and-a-half-month-old child in a case filed with Tejgaon Police Station in the capital over vandalising a student's residence.

She was released from Kashimpur Female's Central Jail at around 11:53am today (22 April), confirmed Defence lawyer Farzana Yasmin Rakhi.

The defence lawyer said that Shilpi was first denied bail and sent to jail along with her child yesterday.

Later yesterday evening (21 April) at around 8pm, the judge of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court in Dhaka, Mohammad Mustafizur Rahman, granted bail to Shilpi Begum on humanitarian grounds.

But the release was delayed due to pending paperwork signatures.

This morning, she was released after the jail authorities completed legal procedures upon receipt of the bail documents.

From early morning, members of her family and political associates waited at the gate of Kashimpur Jail to receive Shilpi Begum.

After her release, Alamgir Hossain, a Sramik League activist from the Tejgaon area, said, "Shilpi Begum is like an elder sister in our area. Following the incident involving her, the court granted her bail on humanitarian grounds as reported in the media. We remain respectful to the law."

After coming out of prison, Shilpi Begum said that although she is involved in Awami League politics, she does not hold any organisational position.

She said, "The police did not intend to harass me; rather, I was framed through a conspiracy by political opponents. However, considering my one-and-a-half-month-old child, I am grateful to the court for its decision and I respect the law."

Earlier, she was arrested on Monday (20 April) evening from the Tejkunipara Railway Colony area. The following day at around 3pm, Dhaka Additional Metropolitan Magistrate Awlad Hossain Muhammad Jonaid denied her bail and ordered her to be sent to jail along with her one-and-a-half-month-old child.

They were later taken to Kashimpur jail.

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.