A magistrate court in Dhaka has denied bail to 27 individuals who were apprehended during a police raid on the central headquarters of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) in the capital’s Gulistan area. The accused were remanded in judicial custody following allegations that they attempted to destabilise public order by chanting political slogans.
Metropolitan Magistrate Najmin Akhtar issued the order on Monday after hearing arguments from both defense and state counsels. Defence lawyers Nilanjana Rifat Surbhi and Taslima Jahan Poppy petitioned for bail on behalf of the detainees. However, the court ultimately rejected the plea and directed the authorities to send all 27 individuals to prison pending further investigation.
The individuals whose bail applications were turned down have been identified as Didarul Alam Tuhin, Iman Ahmed Imon, Molla Md Shahjahan Siraj, Joy Sarkar, Miraj Ahmed, Miraj Malitha, Robiul Islam, Milon Kumar Mahanta, Kawsar Hossain, Shree Anjan Sheel, Jalal Uddin Mondal, Abdul Latif, Shamim Ahmed, Ahmed Ahsan Habib, Sujon Ali, Tasikul Islam, Saifullah Sayek, Nayan Ali, Sajidul Islam Tuhin, Tajul Islam, Nishkor Samrat Hossain Talukdar, Anwar Hossain, Alamgir Hossain, Al Amin Howlader, Tushar Ali, Rashidul Haq, and Mir Muktisur Rahman.
The arrests stem from a large-scale police operation conducted on Saturday afternoon. Officers launched a raid on the JSD central party office around 3:00 pm, supported by local residents. By 4:00 pm, security personnel surrounded the premises, detained a large crowd, and transported them to Paltan Police Station using a fleet of police vans. Mohammad Harun-or-Rashid, Deputy Commissioner of the Motijheel Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, later informed reporters that officers had taken approximately 280 to 300 individuals into custody from the party headquarters for screening.
Following extensive background checks and initial interrogations at the police station, most of those detained were subsequently released. However, 27 individuals were formally arrested under Section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
On Sunday, Sub-Inspector Nazmul Islam of Paltan Model Police Station submitted a detention prayer to the court, seeking to hold the suspects in prison. The police report stated that the accused gathered inside the JSD headquarters at approximately 4:10 pm on Saturday and chanted the “Joy Bangla” slogan, allegedly creating an unstable and unruly atmosphere. Officers noted that when questioned on-site, the individuals failed to provide satisfactory explanations for their presence at the location. Citing suspicions that the suspects might be involved in cognisable offences, law enforcement officials requested their continued detention in the interest of a fair and thorough investigation.
