The judge sent them to jail as there was no bail plea from the defendants, an official says
Published : 10 Apr 2024, 01:43 AM
The 52 men and women arrested on charges of robbing banks, looting arms and assaulting officials in Bandarban’s Ruma and Thanchi Upazilas have been sent to jail pending trial.
Chief Judicial Magistrate Court’s Senior Judge Nazmul Hossain sent them behind bars on Tuesday, court police’s Inspector AK Fazlul Haque said.
“The court initially sent one of them to jai in the morning, then three others and 48 others finally. Earlier on Monday, two more people (Cheusis Bawm and driver Kafil Uddin) arrested over the incidents were also sent to jail after being produced in court,” he added.
Meanwhile, police released a six-month old pregnant woman who was arrested in Ruma on Monday, said court police’s General Registration Officer Biswajit Singha.
The court directly sent them to jail as there was no plea from the accused for bail, according to the defence lawyer Mohtul Hossain Janta.
"However, I have signed the power of attorney as a lawyer subject to the permission of the court. I will apply for bail after looking at the documents after Eid. A bail hearing would be held then,” he said.
“They have been shown apprehended for bank heists in Ruma and Thanchi and arms looting. The defendants will have to show documents after Eid. But the people arrested in the cases are from the Bawm community,” Janta said.
Armed robbers attacked three branches of Krishi Bank and Sonali Bank in Ruma and Thanchi Upazilas of Bandarban on Apr 2 and 3. They looted money, assaulted bank officers and employees and abducted a bank official. They also took several weapons and ammunition.
The attack on the Sonali Bank and subsequent abduction of its Ruma branch Manager Nezam Uddin occurred in the first hours of Apr 2 night. But the robberies at the Krishi and Sonali Bank in Thanchi took place in broad daylight.
The name of KNF, better known as the Bawm Party in the hills, surfaced in both incidents.
Amid panic in the areas, Rapid Action Battalion or RAB secured the release of the bank manager on Apr 4.
Later the elite police unit said the separatist tribal group Kuki-Chin National Front or KNF was involved in the bank robberies and arms looting that took place over 16 hours.
Security forces have been conducting a joint crackdown on KNF in the areas since then.