A court in Munshiganj has ordered jail custody for 37 teenagers who were detained for chanting “Joy Bangla” slogans on a boat in the Dhaleshwari River adjacent to Munshiganj city.
The police sent them to the court on Saturday (November 14) afternoon. After separate hearings in the afternoon, the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court and the Children’s Court judge ordered them to jail rejecting bail petitions.
Munshiganj Court Police Inspector Md. Kamrul Islam Mia confirmed the matter. He said, “The detained teenagers were produced in two separate courts. After the hearing, the judges of both the courts ordered to send them to jail.”
Earlier on Friday afternoon, a group of teenagers were seen raising “Joy Bangla” slogans on a boat in the Dhaleshwari River adjacent to the city’s Mollachar area. Later, the police detained 7-8 teenagers from a boat. In addition, local Jubo Dal and Chhatra Dal leaders and activists detained other teenagers and handed them over to the police.
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Munshiganj Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Taslim Uddin said, “Based on the information that banned Chhatra League activists were planning to carry out terrorist activities by gathering in boats on the Dhaleshwari River, the police took up position on the river bank. At that time, some suspects who had come in a group in a trawler were detained. Later, local Chhatra Dal and Jubo Dal leaders and activists detained some more from an anchored cargo ship and handed them over to the police. 37 teenagers arrested under Section 151 of the Criminal Procedure Code on charges of planning terrorist activities by uniting were sent to court on Saturday. The court ordered them to be sent to jail on Saturday afternoon.”
It is worth noting that the interim government banned the political activities of the Awami League and its affiliates in an executive order on May 12, 2025. Then, the BNP came to power and turned that order into law. Earlier, the Chhatra League was banned in October 2024.
After the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024, the police arrested hundreds of thousands of leaders, activists and supporters, including more than 150 former ministers and MPs, many of whom are still being held in prison without trial. At least 70 of them have died in prison. In addition, more than 50 more activists have died in security custody, and at least 20,000 leaders and activists have been killed in mob attacks, disappearances and public shootings and slaughters, the party said. Many have even been killed for the crime of saying “Joy Bangla” and writing on walls; they have been arrested and threatened.
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At least 1,800 cases have been filed in the anti-government movement alone for murder and attempted murder. Of these, 673 cases are in the name of Awami League President and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, of which 457 are murder cases. In a recent interview with various media outlets, she said that she will return to the country in December and fight against the death sentence given by the International Crimes Tribunal. Since then, on the one hand, the police have been conducting special operations to arrest Awami League workers and supporters, and various Islamist parties including BNP, Jamaat, NCP, AB Party have vowed to bring Sheikh Hasina back and execute the death sentence.
The political situation has become more extreme after Sheikh Hasina expressed her desire to obtain a passport and national identity card through the Law Chamber of London on November 9. Various ministers have said that Sheikh Hasina will not be issued a passport or travel pass, but rather she will be brought to Bangladesh as a criminal under the extradition agreement with India. In the meantime, BBC Bangla reported in a news report that India has asked to send a military plane to pick up Sheikh Hasina, just as she went to India on August 5. Moreover, the country has also said that it will suspend the tribunal’s verdict and start a new trial.