34 BUET students ‘unfairly’ implicated, guardians allege

Guardians of the 34 students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), arrested in Sunamganj on Monday for their suspected link with Jamaat-Shibir politics, alleged that their kids had been unfairly implicated.

Police on Monday arrested them while roaming around Tanguar Hawar in Sunamganj.

“We can challenge the BUET administration and say that our children are not involved in any kind of politics and anti-state activities.Such allegations against them are completely baseless, fabricated and deliberate.We are clearly saying that they are just ordinary students,”one of the guardians Ali Ahsan Junayed said while reading out a written statement at a press conferenceon Tuesday afternoon.

The press conference was held at Shaheed Minar of BUET campus.

The parents said that the context of how many items were recovered from them as seized goods is very ridiculous and clearly fabricated.

They went there to visit their friends during the term-break.And the allegation that someone would plan sabotage in Tangua Howar is also ridiculous.

Concerned about this situation, the guardians said, in the case report, they have been accused of disturbing public security by committing terrorist activities, causing damage to life and property, treasonous activities and conspiracy against the government by creating religious jihad.

Naturally, the whole thing made the guardians very anxious. Urging the BUET authorities to take action, they said, in this reality, some parents went to meet the VC of BUET on Monday evening.They met the Director of Student Welfare and informed him about the whole matter.

“The surprising thing is that the student welfare director told us that they were also informed about the matter by the police around four or five in the afternoon.

At that time, we expressed our concern about who is making such conspiratorial efforts and for what purpose, and that our children's education and career are at risk.”

The parents of these students have requested the university authorities to give full cooperation in this regard.

Incidentally, on Monday afternoon, the police informed the reporters about the matter after showing a case against the students at Tahirpur Police Station and arresting them under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

In the afternoon, SI Rashedul Kabir of that police station filed the case as the plaintiff.The case alleges conspiracy against the state and government through acts of terrorism, damage to public life, secret meetings and creation of jihad.

However, after their arrest, local journalists were not told anything about the matter until Monday afternoon.

Soon after their arrest, police said they arrested the BUET students on suspicion of having links with Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and Bangladesh Chhatra Shibir during a trip to Tanguar Haor in Sunamganj.

Police arrested the students at about 4.00pm from a boat on Patlairiver when they were going to Tekerghat tourist spot on Sunday.

Later, a court in the district sent 34 students to jail when they were produced before it on Monday.

Superintendent of Police Md Ehsan Shah said the arrested BUET students were taking preparations for sabotage against the government.

“During initial interrogation, it was assumed that all of the arrested students were motivated with politics of Chhatra Shibir,” he added.