JCD president, 5 others held with yaba pills
Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal President Rajib Ahsan and his five “associates” were sent to Patuakhali jail yesterday after they were arrested reportedly in possession of yaba tablets in the district the previous night.
Police did not seek any remand for the six after producing them before the district chief judicial magistrate's court, reports our correspondent there.
Magistrate Tareque Shams fixed today for hearing on the bail petitions filed by the arrestees.
Police said pro-BNP student body leader Rajib and his “associates” were held with 45 yaba tablets in Dumki upazila of Patuakhali around 11:30pm Sunday. The six were traveling in a car to Kuakata from Barisal.
Azam Khan Faruqui, officer-in-charge of Dumki Police Station, said on information they stopped the car near Lebukhali ferry terminal on Barisal-Patuakhali highway and found the tablets inside a bag.
Meanwhile, JCD yesterday termed the recovery of yaba tablets from Rajib staged by the government and demanded that he be released immediately.
At a press briefing at BNP's central office in capital's Nayapaltan, the organisation also declared a two-day protest programme for arresting Rajib “without any reason”.
“The arrest of Rajib was nothing but a provocative act of the government at a time when the BNP and its associate bodies are not involved in any movement,” said Nazmul Hasan, a JCD vice-president.
He, while reading out a statement, alleged that the police themselves had planted the tablets in the car to tarnish Chhatra Dal's image.
Chhatra Dal further alleged that police did not tell local journalists about Rajib's arrest when they rushed to the scene.
Our Patuakhali correspondent said Foyez Ahmed, additional superintendent of police (ASP) in the district, briefed reporters about the incident at the district Detective Branch of police's office around 2:00am yesterday.
After the arrest, police brought the six to the DB office and quizzed them.
The police officer did not reveal the identities of the arrested five “associates” of Rajib.
JCD insiders said they were Rajib's village friends from Barisal's Muladi.
At the briefing, ASP Foyez said they also seized a bottle of whisky from the car.
Rajib was produced before reporters but was not allowed to talk to them.
The police official said a case under the narcotics control act was filed against the arrestees.
There are at least 30 cases against the JCD president with different police stations in the capital in connection with his involvement in “subversive activities”, according to JCD insiders.
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