Within just 15 hours of his arrest, Mahdi Hasan, the district member secretary of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement in Habiganj, has been released on bail. On Sunday morning (4 January) around 10 a.m., he was produced before the Habiganj Judicial Magistrate Court, where Judge Abdul Mannan granted him bail on a 200-taka bond. Earlier, around 7 a.m., police took him to court in a case filed on charges of obstructing police duties.
Mahdi’s lawyer, M A Majid, said the charges brought against him were bailable, and after the hearing, the court granted his bail. Inspector Aminul Islam of the Habiganj Court Police stated that Mahdi was produced before the court in a case filed for obstructing government work and misbehaving with police officials. During the bail hearing, hundreds of activists of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement gathered in the court premises.
On Saturday evening (3 January), Mahdi was arrested by police from the Shayestanagar area of Habiganj town. Following the news of his arrest, activists gathered in front of the police station and staged protests. As tensions rose, security was tightened and army personnel were deployed in front of the police station. Although attempts were made to secure bail that night, it was not possible due to the absence of a magistrate.
Arif Talukdar, convener of the district committee of the movement, said that despite central instructions and assurances from the administration to release Mahdi, the night’s efforts failed as the magistrates did not respond.
Mahdi Hasan came under widespread criticism after a video went viral on social media, where he was heard arguing with the police while demanding the release of a student leader and making remarks about burning a police station and a police officer. Following the controversy, the central committee issued him a show-cause notice on Saturday, asking him to submit a written explanation within 24 hours and temporarily barring him from organizational activities.
Later, in a video message, Mahdi Hasan described his remarks as a “slip of the tongue” and urged everyone to view the incident with understanding.