Two more coordinators of quota reform movement accused of ‘picking up’

Quota reform movement coordinators Nusrat Tabassum and Arif Sohail have been identified by the law enforcement agencies, their families have alleged.

Nusrat Tabassum is a student of Dhaka University and one of the coordinators of the anti-quota movement. His family has alleged that he was picked up from his home in Rupnagar in Mirpur early this morning by the DB police.

And Arif Sohail was a coordinator of Jahangirnagar University in the quota reform movement.

According to his family, Arif Sohail was picked up by a group of eight to nine people wearing white clothes around 3:30 pm on Saturday. At that time, they introduced themselves to the DB police.

However, the matter of Arif Arif Sohail has not yet been confirmed by the Ashulia police station of Savar or the DB police.

Earlier on Saturday, two coordinators of the anti-discrimination student movement, Sarjis Alam and Hasnat Abdullah, were taken into ‘custody’ by the detective police.

Earlier on Friday afternoon, there were allegations that Nahid Islam, one of the coordinators of the movement, Asif Mahmud and Abu Bakr Majumdar were ‘lifted’ while being treated from Gonoshasthaya Nagar Hospital in Dhaka.

Nusrat’s family’s complaint

Nusrat Tabassum’s cousin Meher Nigar Mishti told BBC Bangla that they live in two flats next to each other in the house where Nusrat was picked up in Rupnagar, Mirpur early in the morning.

“A group of white-clad men entered the building after breaking the main gate early in the morning and broke down the doors of two four-storey flats. They didn’t even give Nusrat a chance to change her clothes properly.

A woman was also with them. They took Nusrat with the identity of DB,” Miz Nigar was saying.

He said, when asked where Nusrat was being taken from home, they only asked to inquire at the DB office at Minto Road.

Incidentally, Nusrat Tabassum is a master’s student of Dhaka University’s political science department and on his Facebook profile, he has identified himself as the joint member secretary of the Democratic Student Power and the former joint general secretary of the Student Rights Council.

He was actively involved in this anti-quota movement since its inception.

Arif’s family complains

Arif Sohail’s father. Abul Khair told BBC Bangla that his house was raided at night in two black glass microbuses posing as members of the law and order forces.

He said, “All of them had weapons in their hands. He came to the gate of the house and asked to open the gate. When asked about the identity, DB spoke about the police.”

“They said, Uncle, open the gate. Let’s have some tea. We are government people. Then when the gate was opened, they came to the house and started searching. They seized everyone’s mobile phones.”

Mr. Khair said that after the search, his son took Arif Sohail, the coordinator of the quota reform movement to Jahangirnagar University, with him about the questioning.

He took his eldest son with him. But later the elder son was dropped on the road a little further.

Arif Sohail’s family told the BBC that Arif Sohail was asked to contact the Ashulia police station during his detention. However, when they went to Ashulia police station early in the morning, no arrest was made.

“We are concerned. I don’t know where he was taken.” Arif Sohail’s father Abul Khair said.

What are the police saying?

Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Police (DB) chief Haroon-Or Rashid confirmed to reporters on Sunday afternoon that Nusrat was brought into the custody of the DB for ‘security reasons’.

However, when BBC Bangla contacted the Ashulia police station to inquire about Arif Sohail, the officer in charge of the police station’s operation said that no one named Arif Sohail has been detained or arrested on their behalf.

On the other hand, no information has been received from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Office.

Earlier, the Metropolitan Intelligence Police or DB has admitted that a total of five people of the quota reform movement were taken into ‘custody’.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Metropolitan Intelligence Police (DB) Junaid Alam Sarkar told BBC Bangla on Saturday, “DB has been taken into custody to find out about the incidents that happened in the last few days and for their safety.”

Students’ ultimatum

Meanwhile, the anti-discrimination student movement has rejected the notification issued by the government after the court verdict reforming the quota in government jobs.

The quota reform activists gave a 24-hour ultimatum to the government on three new demands by holding an online press conference on Saturday night.

If these demands are not met, they said to announce more ‘strict program’ later.

In an online press conference on Saturday night, some coordinators of the anti-discrimination student movement said that they are unable to communicate with all the coordinators due to various reasons, including police arrests.

Due to which they are not able to announce any program jointly.

Mahin Sarkar, one of the coordinators of the movement, said in the press conference, “The government is promoting that the main demands of the movement have been accepted. But our demand was to solve this crisis by forming a commission. But as that has not been done, we are rejecting this circular.

The agitators also alleged that the coordinators, including Nahid Islam, Asif Mahmud and Abu Bakr Majumdar, are being harassed by arresting and filing cases.

Coordinator Abdul Hannan Masud said in the press conference that a case has been filed against the coordinators regarding the quota reform movement. They alleged that more than 3,000 students have been detained so far.

After the 2018 anti-quota movement in Bangladesh, the High Court canceled the circular issued by the government canceling the quota on June 5.

The High Court gave that judgment following a petition filed by the children of the freedom fighters. Later, the government appealed against the verdict. But in the meantime, the students started protesting.

From the second of July, the movement started gathering seeds. After a series of incidents, on July 16, six people, including Abu Saeed, died in the violence.

After that, law and order forces clashed with the agitators in different parts of the country including Dhaka.

Internet services were shut down from Thursday, July 18, after widespread clashes over the quota movement, and mobile internet was shut down before that.

In such context, Dhaka Metropolitan Police has banned all kinds of gatherings in Dhaka city from Friday morning. Later that day curfew was issued across the country from 12 midnight.

This was after almost 17 years of curfew in Bangladesh. A curfew was last imposed in 2007 during the military-backed caretaker government.

More than 150 people have been killed in unprecedented protests and violent movements in Bangladesh from July 16 to July 21.