FM Mizanur Rahaman

Chattogram police has submitted a charge-sheet implicating four youths in a case filed with Kotwali Police Station under Section 57 of ICT Act, for instigating students through social media during road safety demonstrations in August last year.

Sub-Inspector Rasibe Khan of Counter Terrorism (CT) unit of Chattogram Metropolitan Police, also the investigation officer of the case, submitted the charge-sheet to the prosecution on Saturday, said court sources.

The four youths are Maruf Hossain, 23, and Aziur Rahman Ashaf, 20 -- joint secretary and political affairs secretary respectively of Chattogram metropolian unit of Chhatra Federation; Imdadul Haque Asik, 24, a final year student of Chittagong University’s Applied Physics department, and Abdullah Al Shahed, 20, said police.

Kotwali police foiled a protest rally organised by a group of youths via social media during the countrywide demonstrations demanding safe roads on August 6 last year, and arrested the four in front of Chattogram Press Club, on charges of instigating students to create anarchy.

Later, Sub-Inspector Ruhul Amin of Kotwali Police Station filed a case accusing the four youths under Section 57 of ICT Act, for provoking students via spreading false information on social media and tarnishing government image by sharing anti-government updates and quotes.

SI Bikash Chandra of Kotwali police station was given charge to investigate the case. The case was handed over to CT unit on August 27 last year.

SI Rasibe Khan told The Daily Star, “Examining the seized cell phones from the four at the forensic lab of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and according to expert reports, it was proven that the four accused posted different anti-government status updates from their social media platforms and instigated students to create disorder using the student demonstrations.”

“As the allegations were found to be true and their involvement were proved during investigation, police submitted charge-sheet against them in the case,” the IO said.

Talking to The Daily Star, Ashaf -- who got out of prison on bail 45 days after his arrest last year -- said, “The anti-government status updates which were posted from our Facebook IDs were given after our arrest; the allegations against us are all baseless.”

The country saw a wave of protests from students demanding safe roads last year, after two college students were run over by a bus in Dhaka on July 29.