The Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police has arrested Sajibul Islam Hridoy, 23, who allegedly planned a recent Awami League鈥檚 flash procession at Dhanmondi in the capital, along with seven other leaders and activists of the party, activities of which are now banned, and its affiliated organisations.
DMP deputy commissioner for media and public relations Muhammad Talebur Rahman in a press release on Thursday said that DB teams arrested them in separate drives in different areas in the capital from Wednesday night to Thursday.
The other arrestees are Abdullah Bin Aziz, 23, vice-president of Wari thana ward 39 Bangladesh Chhatra League, the banned student wing of the AL, Raihan alias Polin, 28, an activist of Lalbagh thana Swechchhasebak League, Shahadat Nabi Khoka, 42, member of the central subcommittee for relief and social welfare of Paltan thana Awami League, Aminur Rahman Manik, 30, joint general secretary of the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar thana ward 13 Swechchhasebak League, Jamil Hossain Palash, 58, president of the Kalabagan thana ward 16 Awami League, Golam Mostafa, 50, secretary of the Shariatpur Sadar thana Awami League and Karar Shahriar Ahmad, 41, former president of Nikli thana Chhatra League.
According to DB sources, separate DB teams arrested Hridoy from Dhanmondi while Aziz from Wari, Raihan from Lalbagh, Manik from Sher-e-Bangla Nagar and Mostafa from Keraniganj in separate drives on Wednesday.
DB teams also arrested Khoka from Paltan, Palash from Dhanmondi and Shahriar from Uttara in separate drives on early Thursday.
Police said that all the arrestees had multiple cases with different police stations on specific charges.
鈥楾hey are accused of attempting to destabilise the country, disrupt law and order and spread panic by organising flash processions in the capital,鈥� said the press release.
Legal proceedings are under way against the arrestees, it added.
Earlier, on August 31 evening, some activists of the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League brought out a flash procession in Dhaka city鈥檚 Dhanmondi area and left the scene before the police reached there.
Later, on September 2, some BCL activists brought out another flash procession in the capital鈥檚 Banani area.
On October 23 past year, the interim government banned the BCL under the Anti-Terrorism Act on allegations of its involvement in breaching public security in various ways in the past 15 years.
In May this year, the government banned all activities of Awami League until trials of its leaders and activists for allegedly perpetrating atrocities in the July uprising, which led to the ouster of the authoritarian AL regime on August 5, 2024.
