Mobile court jails youth
A mobile court yesterday jailed a student for two years in connection with the violence between pro-Awami League student activists and BNP supporters in the capital's Bakshibazar area.
What's interesting to note here is that the two witnesses, based on whose depositions Mohammad Afzal Hossain was put in jail, didn't even know what he had actually done.
A lawmaker's car was set on fire in front of the emergency gate of Dhaka Medical College Hospital around 12:45pm soon after several hundred activists of the ruling Awami League's student front Chhatra League swooped on a few thousand BNP activists who had gathered there to show off their support for BNP chief Khaleda Zia. The former premier was due there to appear before a makeshift court in two graft cases.
Police caught Afzal when he was trying to enter the hospital premises through the emergency gate, beside which there is a police outpost, a few minutes after MP Chhabi Biswas' vehicle was set ablaze.
The 20-year-old, who identified himself as a third year student of Accounting department of Dania University College, was soon handcuffed and put inside the police outpost for about an hour and a half.
Later, Inspector (investigation) Habil Hossain of Shahbagh Police Station called in a mobile court that sentenced Afzal to two years' imprisonment for causing riot.
This correspondent witnessed the mobile court trial.
When Executive Magistrate Sarwoer Alam convicted Afzal of causing riot, a policeman said, "But sir, we caught him for setting fire to an MP's car."
The magistrate justified the conviction saying, all sorts of destructive activities fall under the riot charge.
Afzal was convicted based on the testimonies of Nayek Sakhawat Hossain of the outpost, and Ramzanul Hira Mridha, a DMCH staff.
However, both the witnesses later told The Daily Star that they did not see Afzal attacking the lawmaker's vehicle or clashing with anyone.
"I have done what I have been asked to do. I just signed on a paper," said Hira.
He did not mention the name of the person who had instructed him to testify against Afzal.
Nayek Sakhawat said, "I saw him [Afzal] only when police were bringing him in."
Before the trial, Inspector Habil asked Afzal to sign on a paper.
Only after a visibly nervous Afzal had signed the paper, it was revealed to him that by signing the paper, he confessed to his guilt.
Afzal denied his involvement in the violence and claimed that he lived in Jatrabari and came to Bakshibazar to meet a friend.
"Being chased by police and failing to tolerate the teargas, I ran towards the emergency gate," he said.
On receiving the news of Afzal's arrest, his carpenter father Abul Hossain rushed to the police outpost.
"I am getting my son educated through a lot of hardships. The verdict will destroy his life. I will appeal against the judgment," he said.
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