Dhaka, 06 August (H.S.): A court in Bangladesh has remanded a 14-year-old school student to judicial custody in a case registered under the country's Anti-Terrorism Act. The opposition Awami League has condemned the action, accusing the government of abusing its authority and interfering in the judicial process.

According to local media reports, the student, Mohammad Rimon, is a Class 10 student at Char Meher Azizia High School in Ramgati Upazila of Lakshmipur district. Defence counsel Abdur Rob Sumon stated that, according to the student's birth certificate, he is 14 years and two months old. The defence sought bail on humanitarian grounds, but the court rejected the plea.

According to the report, police arrested Rimon from his village on August 2. However, the First Information Report (FIR) initially recorded a different name and age. The investigating officer later amended the documents to reflect the student's correct identity and age as a minor.

The case stems from an incident on May 30, when several members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of the Awami League, allegedly organised a brief procession and raised slogans on the premises of a local school. Subsequently, on June 4, police registered a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act, naming 12 individuals, including Rimon, as accused.

The Awami League strongly criticised the action, alleging that the Anti-Terrorism Act is being used against political opponents. The party said that the alleged disregard for the student's birth certificate, discrepancies related to his name and age, and the decision to send a minor to jail raise serious questions about the functioning of the administration and the judicial process.

The case will continue to be heard in court.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar