Police arrest another quota reform movement leader

Another leader of the ongoing movement demanding reformation of the quota system in public service has been arrested by the Detective Branch (DB) of police.

The convener of the Bangladesh General Students’ Rights Protection Council (BGSRPC), Hasan Al Mamun, claimed that their platform’s Joint Convener APM Suhel was picked up from the house of student leader and former Chhatra Union president Lucky Akter around 4:30am on Thursday.

Devdas Bhattacharya, additional commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police DB, denied the allegation when contacted for comment later in the morning.

However, later in the evening, DMP Media and Public Relations Division Deputy Commissioner Masudur Rahman confirmed to the Dhaka Tribune that Suhel, a student of Jagannath University’s English department, had been arrested.

But the DMP official did not specify on what charges Suhel had been arrested. “Necessary legal steps against him are being taken,” he added.

Meanwhile, Lucky Akter, who rose to nationwide fame during the 2013 Shahbagh protests demanding capital punishment for 1971 war criminals, said  in a Facebook post yesterday that 8-10 DB police officials entered her house around 4:30am and detained Suhel, who was staying there.

The detectives handcuffed Suhel and interrogated him in a separate room for over an hour, according to Lucky’s post. She said the detectives had also checked the mobiles phones and computer in the house, apart from thoroughly searching the room Suhel was staying in.

Asked why he was being taken, the DB officials reportedly told Lucky that they were taking Suhel to question him over matters related to the quota reform movement.

On July 10, three other joint conveners of BGSRPC – Faruk Hasan, Jasim Uddin and Md Mashiur Rahman – were each remanded for two days in two cases filed over the vandalism of the Dhaka University vice-chancellor’s residence and obstruction of police duty.

On July 8, another joint convener, Rashed Khan, was placed on 10-day remand by a Dhaka court in separate cases after completion of a previous five-day remand that started on July 2.