Removal of Lady Justice statue: 4 protesters get bail

A Dhaka court today granted bail to four persons including leader of leftist student body Liton Nandi, who were picked up while protesting the removal of the statue of Lady Justice from the Supreme Court premises on Friday.

Police filed the case with Shahbagh Police Station against 140-150 protesters, including the four, on Friday, claiming that they were equipped with lethal weapons and attempted to kill policemen.

Metropolitan Magistrate AKM Mainuddin Siddique passed today’s order after their lawyer moved a petition seeking bail for them in the case.

Their bail will be valid till submission of the police report in the case.

The accused are: General Secretary of Bangladesh Chhtra Union Liton, president of its Dhaka College unit Morshed Halim, its activist Joy, and Udichi’s central committee member Noor.

The statue of Lady Justice was taken down in the late hours of Thursday night, a month after Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam demanded its removal from the Supreme Court premises.

Hours after the removal of the statue, police in the capital yesterday swung into action against demonstrators protesting the removal, which they see as "surrender to radical Islamists".

At least 20 people were injured as police fired tear gas canisters and water cannons to disperse several hundred protesters near the High Court Mazar around noon.

The statue's removal sparked protests also outside the capital, while people turned to social media to express their anger and frustration over it.