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3 years ago

Prison death protesters face charges of attempted murder

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The police have charged seven people with attempted murder in clashes with law enforcers during protests over the prison death of writer Mushtaq Ahmed.

The accused in a case registered with Shahbagh Police Station on Friday midnight were sent to court on Saturday as the police sought permission for questioning in their custody, said Inspector Mahbub Alam.

Mushtaq died in Kashimpur High Security Prison on Feb 25, nearly 10 months after his arrest in a case under the Digital Security Act on charges of criticising the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

Activists of several organisations demonstrated on the Dhaka University campus and Shahbagh throughout Friday demanding justice for Mushtaq and cancellation of the act. The writer was denied bail six times. 

Members of the leftist student groups marched on the campus with torches in the evening. When their procession neared the National Museum, the police stopped them.

At one stage, clashes erupted, according to bdnews24.com.

The police personnel also fired teargas shells after the protesters started throwing brickbats. They then moved back to the campus and clashed with the law enforcers.

The protesters said 30 of them were injured after the police charged baton by switching the street lights off. The law enforcers said 15 policemen were injured when the protesters threw brickbats.

Photos published by newspapers showed the police clubbing the protesters.

The law enforcers said they acted in self-defence after coming under attack from the marching protesters.

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