The 20-year-old Sakhawat Hossain Forhad was an HSC candidate at Dhaka Commerce College. After achieving good results at a village school in Comilla, his family placed him in a hostel in Dhaka to continue his studies.
A few of his exams were postponed due to the ongoing quota agitation situation, and they are yet to be taken.
On the night of July 21, a friend of Forhad called his father in the village and informed him that Forhad and two others had been taken to the police station by officers from the side of the road in Mirpur. He couldn't provide any more details.
Around 12 noon on Monday, Forhad's elder brother, Shah Poran Palash, was waiting at the CMM court premises. The court was set to decide on bail that day.
Palash said: "It was 12:30am on July 22, and we couldn't travel to Dhaka that night. The next day, I went to the Rupnagar police station in Mirpur and found out that my brother would be taken to the CMM court. I learned that he had been arrested because they identified him in a video taken in Mirpur during the quota movement."
Public universities demand compensation for quota reform mayhemOn July 24, the family went to court and discovered that three cases had been filed against Forhad for vandalism, conflict, and obstruction of government work.
"We are here today seeking his bail. My brother will be brought to court from Keraniganj prison. I am waiting, and the lawyer will try to secure his bail," Palash added.
"He may have participated in the movement with friends, but he is not affiliated with any political party. Our family does not understand how these accusations came about," he said.
"During the movement, my father talked to my younger brother regularly. He said he was fine, staying in the Mirpur area, and had not gone out," he added.
Palash further said: "I have learned from the police that he posted many provocative statuses on Facebook. However, if you review his Facebook, you will see that while he did post some statuses in favor of the quota movement, he never posted anything against the government."
Minister: No situation to reopen educational institutions right nowForhad’s lawyer, Fayzul Kabir Selim Niyazi, told Dhaka Tribune: "Forhad was portrayed as an active BNP worker in the case statement. His name is being associated with sabotage and vandalism, but he is an HSC candidate who has already taken many exams. A few more exams are pending, but he was not granted bail today. He has been named as one of the 12 accused in connection with vandalism, clashes, and agitations in front of BUBT University Gate of Rupnagar Thana."
"One of the family's concerns is how this student will participate in his remaining exams. We are waiting for the next hearing, where his bail will be attempted again," he added.
The family said that the police found video footage and pictures taken during the agitation on his phone, which led to his arrest.
