NEWS media reported that the three joint conveners of Bangladesh Shadharan Chhatra Odhikar Sangrakkhan Parishad, who led last week countrywide demonstration for quota reformation in government services, were picked up by a gun-toting group later known as DB police when they were passing by the Dhaka Medical College Hospital boarding a rickshaw. They were suddenly intercepted and dragged into a white microbus blindfolded. The ultimate destination of the microbus was DB office in the city’s Mintoo Road. DB at a press briefing yesterday claimed that three students were called to their office to show video footages to identify the culprits involved in vandalizing and arson in VC’s bungalow.
But the question is — why they would be picked up so abruptly? The way police followed to call the students for the quizzing is counterpointing to citizen’s dignity and also prohibited by Supreme Court. Though they were released after a few hours, we think it was an incident of abduction. The students said they were not quizzed or showed any video clips. It seems nothing but a clear intimidation to compel students to stop their legitimate demands despite Prime Minister’s announcement to accept their demand.
Surprisingly, when the three were being picked up in Dhaka, police in Jhenaidah interrogated one of their fathers to know whether the family had any political affiliation.
The acts of the police were totally unaccepted. Rights campaigners expressed deep concern over such an “attitude” of the law enforcing agencies. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in parliament announced that there would be no quota in government jobs and asked the students to end the demonstration. When PM accepted the legitimate demands of the youths, why such harassments are being committed? Why their cases are not withdrawn?
The police have not yet explained convincingly why some of them had to be taken blindfolded in the style of Pakistani days. We have learnt the ways of free country where government has no way of behaving like a power addicted force. It is the responsibility of every citizen to cooperate with police to find out criminal activities. But to treat political activist as criminal is fundamentally wrong and failure of political leaders to deal with political problem politically. Police must distinguish between criminal activities and political activities involving political injustice.
