Staff Reporter :
Over 500 demonstrators, including guardians of quota reformists, eminent citizens and teachers of several universities, staged demonstration under the banner of “Udbigno Obhibhabok o Nagorik” after dramatically managing cops’ permission at Jatiya Press Club on Tuesday afternoon.
They tried to participate in the pre-schedule protest rally against the ongoing attacks by leaders and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) and vested quarters of police personnel on the quota reform movement agitators for government jobs.
But the police earlier dispersed the demonstrators by assaulting them on the club premises saying they had no permission for holding the programme, witnesses said.
However, after half an hour, they continued their demonstration on the Press Club premises.
Earlier, the law enforcers allegedly assaulted Dhaka University teacher Professor Fahmidul Haq and Ganosanghati Andolon convener Zonayed Saki.
They also picked up Jahangirnagar University (JU) Professor Rehnuma Ahmed and Bangladesh Chhatra Union (BCU) ex-president Baki Billah from the spot. They were released by taking an undertaken from the Shahbagh Police Station in the evening.
Prof. Fahmidul Haq said, “Police misbehaved with me even after knowing my identity. I along with Rehnuma Ahmed got into the van after police arrested Baki Billah. We wanted to talk to the police officer. But the officer accused me of damaging the police vehicle and also tried to arrest me. But the other demonstrators resisted their attempt.”
The law enforcers manhandled Fahmidul Haq, a teacher of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism of Dhaka University, said Zonayed Saki, Chief Coordinator of Ganasanghati Andolan.
Baki Billah said, “Police attacked the demonstrators as they tried to gather at the Jatiya Press Club to hold a rally protesting the attacks on the leaders and activists of Bangladesh General Students’ Rights Protection Council by BCL men across the country”.
On Monday, Bangladesh Chhatra League activists and police injured several activists of the council in attacks when they tried to stage their scheduled programme in different universities.
On Sunday, detectives arrested Rashed Khan, Joint Convener of Bangladesh General Students’ Rights Protection Council, from Bhasantek in the city. Police also took him on custody following a court reminded him.
Another joint convener Faruk Hassan was also shown arrested in a vandalism case. He and two others were sent to jail on Tuesday. They other accused are Tarikul Islam and Jasim Uddin.
Humyan Kabir, Inspector of Special Branch (SB) of Police in Dhaka, filed the case accusing 30 to 40 unidentified people for torching his motorcycle and snatching his walkie-talkie from Doyel Chattar at the DU campus during a demonstration of students demanding reform to quota system in the civil service.
