Naheed’s video message of withdrawal of program in DB custody, other coordinators accused of taking ‘hostage’
Nahid Islam, one of the coordinators of the quota reform movement, gave a video message to withdraw the program while in the ‘custody’ of Dhaka’s intelligence police. However, two other coordinators complained that the statement was given under hostage torture.
The police took Nahid Islam and two other coordinators from the hospital on Friday and kept them in ‘custody’ at the DB office, but Nahid Islam’s mother was not allowed to meet her on Sunday. The family members of the arrested went to meet them but the Dhaka Metropolitan Police did not allow them to meet them.
However, in a video message from police custody later in the evening, Nahid Islam gave a message to withdraw the quota reform movement. In a written statement, he said, “Many people have been unexpectedly injured and killed during the quota reform movement and the situation of emergency.” Moreover, violent incidents have taken place in various establishments, including arson in state establishments. We strongly condemn these incidents. And I demand speedy trial subject to fair investigation.
“Our logical demand was quota reform, which the government has already fulfilled. Now I urge the government to open educational institutions quickly to ensure a fair environment for education. In the interest of all, we are withdrawing our program from this moment.”
At this time, five other coordinators in DB custody are seen sitting next to him. This video was sent to the media around 9 o’clock.
But two other coordinators, who are in hiding, claimed that their speech was ‘arranged’ and read ‘hostage’.
Shortly after Nahid Islam’s speech, Abdul Quader, one of the coordinators of the anti-discrimination student movement, said in a statement, “The statement given by the coordinators in the face of torture, can never be accepted by the nation. We reject the statement that the arrested coordinators were intimidated into writing down the intelligence agency’s statement and at the same time strongly condemn and protest against the government’s heinous act of extracting the statement by force.”
On the other hand, another coordinator, Abdul Hannan Masud, said in a small message, “This written statement was read by blackmailing the coordinators in the DB office. The student community will not accept taking hostages at gunpoint.
In the last three days, six main coordinators of the quota movement, including Nahid Islam, were picked up by Metropolitan Detective Police or DB. Some of them were taken from the hospital under treatment, some were brought to the DB office by breaking the gate of the house.
On Sunday afternoon, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DB) chief Harun-Or Rashid confirmed that the coordinators have been brought into the DB’s custody ‘for the sake of security’.
Thus, after being in intelligence custody for about two days, Additional Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Intelligence Police Harunur Rashid took a picture with food in front of them on a dining table on Sunday night.
Two videos are made at the same time. That picture and video Mr. Rashid published on his Facebook page.
Posting this picture, he wrote on his Facebook page, “The coordinators of the anti-discrimination student movement, the platform of the quota reform movement, were suffering from insecurity. So I brought them to the DB office and talked to them.”
Shortly after this, the issue of Nahid Islam’s video message came to light.
Other coordinators with him are Asif Mahmood, Abu Bakr Mazumder, Sarjis Alam, Hasnat Abdullah and Nusrat Tabassum.
Nahid Islam was abducted from a friend’s house at midnight on July 20 amid intense violence and a ‘complete lockdown’ called by anti-discrimination student movements across the country over the quota reform movement. Two days later, he was left blindfolded in Purbachal area of Dhaka.
He later alleged that he was picked up by a ‘state force’ identified as DB. He said that he was physically and mentally tortured after being picked up.
“Perhaps I was taken away because I could not lead or direct the movement”, Nahid Islam told BBC Bengal after his release.
At that time, he said, there were three-four cars including police and BGB cars under the house when they were taken away. He is picked up in a private car or micro available there.
“At that time I was blindfolded with three to four layers of cloth and handcuffed. After some time I was taken out of the car and taken to a room in a house. I was interrogated and then subjected to mental and physical torture,” said Mr. . Islam
“At one point I fainted. After that I have no memory,” he said.
When BBC Bangla contacted the police about Nahid Islam’s complaint, they said that Mr. Islam does not know anything about detention or release.
Nahid Islam told BBC Bangla at that time, “I regained consciousness in the Purbachal area around four to five in the morning on Sunday. Later, when the light came on, I walked some distance and came home with a CNG”.
He was admitted to the hospital for treatment of his injuries. From there DB police picked up three people including him. Later, four more coordinators were picked up in the identity of law and order forces.
Among them, apart from Jahangirnagar University coordinator Arif Sohail, the rest were seen in the video message recorded at the DB office.
IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
He was not allowed to meet his family
Nahid Islam, one of the coordinators of the anti-discrimination student movement, Asif Mahmud and Abu Bakr Majumdarke were taken from Gonoshasthaya Nagar Hospital in Dhaka by the Dhaka Detective Police or DB last Friday afternoon.
Two other coordinators, Hasnat Abdullah and Sarjis Alam, were arrested on Saturday night.
Nusrat Tabassum was arrested in the early hours of Sunday morning and was taken away by breaking the gate of a house in Mirpur, it was alleged by the family.
Meanwhile, the families of some of the coordinators in DB custody went to the Metropolitan Intelligence Police office, but they were not allowed to meet the families.
Dhaka Metropolitan Intelligence Police Commissioner Harun Or Rashid said in a press conference this afternoon that they have been taken into DB custody for security reasons.
However, after not meeting the child, Nahid Islam’s mother Mumtaz Nahar said, “The DB is saying that it has kept them for security reasons. Children are safe from parents. What is security in the DB office?’
Miz of journalists. Nahar said, ‘I can’t contact my son. I can’t be sure if he is in the DB office at all.’
He said, ‘Nahid was picked up and tortured once before. I am worried whether they are being beaten or tortured this time.’
Arif Sohail, the arrested coordinator, was picked up from the Jahangirnagar University area on police identification, but his family members have not been able to find him till the writing of this report.
BBC BANGLA
