Detective police have received a two-day remand order to question five Dhaka College students who were arrested over the murder of Nahid Mia, a deliveryman who was fatally beaten and stabbed during the recent violence in the New Market area.
The suspects were produced before the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court on Thursday, according to state prosecutor Azad Rahman, reports bdnews24.com.
Police petitioned for a seven-day remand but Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Shanta Akhter granted them two days for the interrogations.
The lawyers for the suspects claimed they were regular students of good background who were arrested based on vague suspicions, and asked for the remand petition to be scrapped.
"If remand is granted, their student lives and careers will be ruined," they argued.
The arrestees have been identified as Abdul Qayyum, a student of the Department of Accounting, Polash Mia and Mahmud Irfan of the Department of Sociology, Faisal Islam of the Department of Bangla and 'Junaid' of the Department of Islamic History and Culture.
Earlier this afternoon, Hafiz Akhtar, additional commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Detective Branch, said five suspects had been arrested in connection with the case.
"Two murder cases were filed with the New Market Police Station over the clashes," he said. "We were investigating those two cases. Five people involved in one of the murders have been arrested. They were active participants in the attack."
On Apr 25, Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (Media) Farook Hossain said they had identified six suspects in the killing of Nahid Mia -- all of whom are students of Dhaka College.
His comments came a day after the DMP's Detective Branch conducted a raid in the Dhaka College dormitories as part of their investigation into the violent clashes. However, no students were arrested at the time.
Multiple media reports, after assessing CCTV footage of the incident, also confirmed the identities of the perpetrators, who are members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student affiliate of the ruling Awami League. However, Dhaka College does not have a BCL committee.
On Apr 18, an argument between two food stores in New Market escalated when Chhatra League activists were called in by one side. The Chhatra League activists were beaten, went back to Dhaka College for reinforcements and attacked New Market around midnight.
Clashes between Dhaka College students and New Market shop owners and workers continued throughout the following day, injuring over 50 people.
Nahid, a deliveryman for an Elephant Road computer accessories store, was attacked and injured amid the violence. A store worker named Morsalin was wounded on the head by a thrown brickbat. The two later died in hospital.
The families of the victims later filed murder cases over their deaths while police started two other cases over the clashes and use of explosives. The Detective Branch is investigating the murder cases, while police are investigating the others.
In total, more than 1,500 people have been accused in the four cases.
Mokbul Hossain, a former president of the BNP’s New Market Unit, was also arrested in connection with the clashes. He and 23 other BNP men named in the case face charges of inciting violence, rioting, arson and obstructing police.
