Jubo League’s women leader with newborn sent to prison

A Dhaka court on Tuesday sent to jail a leader of Jubo Mahila League in a July Uprising case, despite her being a lactating mother of a 1.5-month old newborn.

The court also denied her bail petition, a move she alleged was driven by “political vengeance.”

Shilpi Begum, 37, is a leader of Ward No 26 Jubo Mohila League in the capital, and has been accused in a case filed with Tejgaon Police Station under the Explosives Act and the Penal Code.

Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Awlad Hossain Muhammad Junaid passed the jail order after police produced her before the court and pleaded for her detention.

Confirming the development, defence counsel Farzana Yasmin Rakhi said the accused has an infant baby who was delivered through a caesarean section.

She requires regular medical check-ups and follow-up care. She added that the infant needs constant care from the mother, and the situation creates uncertainty for both mother and child, Rakhi added.

She further said, “We applied for bail on any condition, considering humanitarian grounds. However, the honourable court rejected the plea. This has saddened us. We believe this amounts to a violation of human rights for both the mother and the child.”

Earlier in the day, the accused was brought to the CMM court at around 12.30 pm and kept in court custody. At around 3:10 pm, she was seen breastfeeding her 46-day-old baby while sitting on a bench in front of Court No. 4 on the fourth floor of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court in Dhaka, while two others were helping shield her with cloth.

Around 3:15 pm, she broke down in tears when a police officer came to take her to the custody cell. At that time, her lawyer and accompanying persons got into an argument with the police officer. Around 3:20 pm, she was taken on foot from the fourth floor of the CMM court to the custody cell, while she continued crying.

According to the remand application, on 16 July 2024, during the anti-discrimination student movement, Md Tahmid Mubin Ratul, 21, a second-year student of the Institute of Modern Languages at the University of Dhaka, was shot at the Chankharpur area.

His classmates rushed him to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where Chhatra League activists launched a second attack on him.

Later in the evening of 23 July, 120–130 unidentified accused allegedly attacked his residence, acting on the instructions of Jubo Mohila League leader Shilpi Begum.

The attack caused damage worth Tk5 lakh, while goods worth Tk3 lakh were looted. The attackers also detonated bombs on the road in front of the house and assaulted individuals present.

The accused indiscriminately beat up the victim’s father, Md Sohel Rana.

Initial investigation found sufficient evidence of Shilpi’s involvement.

The application states that it was necessary to keep the accused in jail custody until the investigation was completed.

Shilpi was arrested from her residence, located at Tejgaon Railway Colony Station Road, on 20 April. It was also revealed during the investigation that she played an active role in suppressing the anti-discrimination student movement.