The court has granted bail to the juvenile arrested in the case of the murder of Abu Saeed, a student of Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur.
This order was given by Judge Mustafa Kamal of Rangpur Women and Children Suppression Tribunal-1 around 1:15 on Thursday. The teenager's lawyer, Abdul Mokched Bahalul, confirmed this information to Prothom Alo.
Lawyer Abdul Mokhed Bahalul told Prothom Alo that the bail application of this teenager was supposed to be heard on August 4. But an application was made to the court for his anticipatory bail hearing this morning. The court granted it. After hearing both sides, the court granted bail to the juvenile. But he was not acquitted of the case.
In addition to Abdul Mokhed, lawyers of Rangpur Judge Court, Jobaidul Islam, Abu Taher Ali, Raihan Kabir, Roknuzzaman Rokon and Palash Kanti Nag heard on behalf of the juvenile. These lawyers presented the necessary documents including the birth certificate of the teenager to the court.
Additional Public Prosecutor of Rangpur Women and Child Abuse Tribunal Sharmin Afroz heard the state side. He refused to talk about it.
This teenager is a student of Class XI (Science Department) of Rangpur Police Lines School and College. According to the birth certificate, his age is 16 years and 10 months. However, the police mentioned his age as 19 years in the case.
Today Prothom Alo published a report titled 'Quota movement in Rangpur: Juvenile arrested in Abu Saeed murder case, jailed for 12 days'.
This teenager's father runs a studio business at Park Morra in Rangpur. He told Prothom Alo on Wednesday afternoon that Abu Saeed was killed on July 16. And his son left home on July 18 at noon. He then got into a clash between protesters and law enforcement at Modern Junction. He heard that his son was shot in the leg by the police. Because of this he could not escape. That night, he was called and told that his son was in police custody. Will be released the next day. But the boy was kept in jail without release.
According to Rangpur court sources, the teenager was arrested in the Abu Saeed murder case on July 19 and was produced in Tajhat Amli Court of Rangpur Metropolitan. Then the court sent him to jail.
Several video footages of the killing of Abu Saeed show that the police shot Abu Saeed at close range on the road in front of Begum Rokeya University during the 'Complete Shutdown' program of quota reform activists that day. And Abu Saeed took a stick in one hand and extended both hands to reach the chest. In no time he collapsed.
Rajibul Islam, Head of Forensic Department of Rangpur Medical College, conducted the autopsy of Saeed's body. He told Prothom Alo last Saturday that Abu Saeed's chest and stomach were riddled with bullets.
Abu Saeed was shot dead by the police, which can be clearly seen in the video footage. So how is this young student accused of this murder case? How is his age mentioned 19? No response was received from the police officials.
However, the investigating officer of the case, Deputy Inspector Zillur Rahman of Tajhat Police Station in Rangpur told Prothom Alo that there was no opportunity to verify the age at the time of arrest. Later learned that the age of the boy will be 17 years.
