Students attack accused after court grants remand in Tk 83.9m visa fraud case

A Dhaka court on Thursday placed four accused, including the alleged mastermind of a Tk 83.89 million visa fraud, on remand after they were accused of cheating 91 students by promising overseas study visas. The accused were later attacked by aggrieved students on the court premises.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Ariful Islam granted five-day remands for Mohammad Harun Or Rashid alias Md Matiur Rahman, Rabeya Khatun Tania and Saidur Rahman, while Md Tanzir Islam was placed on a four-day remand.

The accused were produced before the court after the investigating officer, Bhatara Police Station Sub-Inspector Md Billal Bhuiyan, sought a seven-day remand for each of them.

Following the hearing, hundreds of students gathered outside the courtroom and verbally abused the accused as they were escorted away under tight security. Police equipped the accused with helmets, bulletproof vests and handcuffs before taking them toward the jail.

The situation turned tense when several protesters attempted to assault the accused before they entered the jail premises. Some also tried to force their way through the jail gate and scuffled with police, demanding that the accused be handed over to them. The crowd was eventually dispersed after lawyers and others intervened.

Earlier in the day, the affected students staged a human chain and protest programme at the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court premises, continuing demonstrations that began on Wednesday.

Responding to reports of the incident, Deputy Commissioner of DMP's Prosecution Division Mohiuddin Mahmud Sohel said police prevented any attack on the accused.

According to the case statement, Visa Guide Company and Just Thought Education Consultant allegedly collected Tk 83.89 million from 91 students after promising to send them abroad on student visas within four months. The victims alleged that despite receiving the money, the companies neither arranged the visas nor refunded the payments.

On July 8, one of the victims, Al Amin, filed a case naming 13 accused along with seven to eight unidentified individuals.