July uprising activist Tahrima granted bail

Staff Reporter :

A court has granted bail to Tahrima Jannat Surovi, a prominent activist of the July uprising, who was arrested on allegations of blackmail, case trading, and fraud.

The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement confirmed the development in a Facebook post on Monday evening, stating that Surovi had secured bail.

Earlier in the day, Surovi was produced before the Gazipur Metropolitan Magistrate Court, which initially approved a two-day remand sought by police.

Supporters staged a protest at the court premises during the hearing. At the time, Surovi claimed that although four individuals were named as accused in the case, she alone was arrested under what she described as suspicious circumstances.

The court had earlier ordered a two-day remand for Surovi. However, the decision sparked controversy after it emerged that, according to her birth certificate, she is a minor—raising serious concerns over violations of the Children Act, 2013, which prohibits placing minors on remand or sending them to regular prisons.

Surovi’s lawyer described the case as fabricated and argued that the remand order was granted in clear violation of existing laws.

He added that a revision petition would be filed with the High Court challenging the remand decision.
Court records show that Surovi was born on November 29, 2008, making her 17 years, one month, and seven days old. Despite this, police sought remand by presenting her age as 21.

Earlier, on December 26, she was produced before the court as a 20-year-old, after which her bail was denied and she was sent to jail.

Under the Children Act, 2013, anyone under the age of 18 is legally considered a child and cannot be placed on remand. The law also requires minors to be housed in child development centres rather than regular prisons.
Lawyers and rights activists have alleged that these legal safeguards were ignored in Surovi’s case.

Kaliakair Police Station officer-in-charge Khondaker Nasir Uddin said police initially recorded Surovi’s age based on the information provided by the complainant in the case statement. However, he acknowledged that her Secondary School Certificate records and current college documents confirm she is an eleventh-grade student at Bhawal Badre Alam Government College.

Surovi gained widespread attention on social media for her active role during the July uprising and was arrested from her residence in Gazipur on December 25.

Although police questioning has begun, the dispute over her age and the alleged denial of legal protections for minors has sparked concern among human rights activists.