Emi denied bail for the third time

A Dhaka court yesterday denied bail for the third time to Sheikh Tasnim Afroz Emi, former vice-president of Shamsunnahar Hall union at Dhaka University and a central vice-presidential candidate in the 2025 Ducsu election, in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act over playing Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s March 7 speech on a loudspeaker.

Judge Md Nurul Islam of the Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court-11 in Dhaka passed the order after hearing her bail petition, defence lawyer Muha Noman Hossain told The Daily Star.

On March 8, police produced Emi along with Md Asif Ahmed Shoikot, former employment affairs secretary of the banned Chhatra League’s Shahidullah Hall unit of Dhaka University, and Abdullah Al Mamun, a leader of BCL’s Shaheed Sergeant Zahurul Haq Hall unit, before the court and sought their confinement. The court subsequently sent the three to jail.

The following day, the trio sought bail in the case, but the court rejected their petitions.

On March 15, Emi was denied bail for the second time in the case.

According to the case statement, a group of activists from the Awami League, Jubo League and Chhatra League gathered around 3:00pm on March 7 at Shahidullah Hall crossing and played the historic March 7 speech on a loudspeaker.

Police went to the spot after receiving information and detained Shoikot with the help of locals.

Later, around 9:20pm, Mamun and Emi, along with 10-15 unidentified individuals, gathered in front of Gate 1 of the National Museum in Shahbagh.

At the time, the accused chanted slogans using loudspeakers and attempted to resume the activities of the banned student organisation, according to the case.

They also obstructed police from performing their duties and tried to snatch Shoikot from police custody, it said.

At that point, a group of students led by Ducsu representatives AB Zubair and Musaddiq Ali Ibne Mohammad held Mamun and Emi and handed them over to the police.

Following the incident, police filed the case with Shahbagh Police Station under the Anti-Terrorism Act on March 8.