School boys in jail over controversial cases, many not even getting bail

Several reports of school students being arrested and unable to sit for the secondary school examination on charges of being associated with the banned organization Chhatra League have come to light. Many of these teenagers, who have been detained under various sections of controversial laws such as the Special Powers Act and the Anti-Terrorism Act, are not even getting bail.

Sixteen-year-old Kawsar Hossain (pseudonym) was arrested in October last year. His father is a local leader of the political activities banned Awami League. Both father and son were absconding due to a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act. When Kawsar returned home to sit in the SSC exams, the police arrested him. Later, he was released just a day before the test exam. However, he was unable to sit for the exam due to his absence from the test exam and could not fill out the form.

Similarly, the police identified Naeem Hasan (pseudonym) after seeing a picture of him participating in a Chhatra League protest. After being arrested in a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act, he was granted bail after spending 24 days in jail, but the test exam was over by then. As a result, he did not even sit for the SSC exams. He has now been admitted to the tenth grade again.

According to the Child Development Center in Tongi of Gazipur, from January to May 5 of this year, 128 teenagers were arrested under four laws, including anti-terrorism, and brought to the center. Of these, 57 were arrested in the first five days of May alone.

Senior Supreme Court lawyer Omar Faruk said that according to the law, there is an opportunity to grant bail to children even if they are charged under non-bailable sections. But this is being violated.

Barrister Nazia Kabir, treasurer of the Law and Arbitration Center, said that instead of making mass arrests under the controversial law, the families should be warned at the beginning. It must be ensured that even if they are arrested, there is no delay in granting bail.

Several senior government officials were contacted on these issues, but no statement was received. BBC Bangla