Twenty-two activists of Jamaat-e-Islami’s female student wing, Islami Chhatri Sangstha, who were arrested on Wednesday, were sent to jail yesterday for suspected militancy.
Court sources said Muladi police had sent the arrestees to the Barisal Judicial Magistrate Court under section 54 of the penal code for engaging in suspicious activities.
After hearing arguments from both prosecution and defence, Senior Judicial Magistrate Shahinur Akhtar deferred the hearing of the bail pleas till Sunday.
Officer-in-Charge of Muladi police station Shah Alam Hawladar said police had detained the women by raiding the house of Gachhuya union unit Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary Ataur Rahman in Poikkha-Hosnabad village on Wednesday.
He said the 22 activists were involved in holding meetings and workshops and also helped Ataur and his family members to escape during the raid.
The arrestees were Swarnali Hamida, Marjana, Renu, Rafsana, Rokeya, Razia, Afroza, Sumi, Karuna, Runa, Afsana, Niru, Afia, Nupur, Jahanara, Simu, Elisa, Kaniz, Tania, Tahmina, Subarna and Ayesha.
The OC said 36 books and other literature written by Jamaat leaders Ghulam Azam, Matiur Rahman Nizami, and Delawar Hossain Sayedee were recovered.
Police said Swarnali was a student of philosophy at Barisal BM College and the others were students of different local schools and colleges.
However, the arrestees and their guardians claimed that they had assembled as a group to participate in a picnic and Eid-reunion.
Following the arrests, local Jamaat leaders issued statements condemning the alleged harassment by police of the followers of the Islamic ideology and accused them of severely violating their human rights. They also demanded the immediate release of the arrestees.