Police on Saturday quizzed Dipankar Das, owner of well-known bookstore Baatighar, in connection with a case filed over an attack on a student-led demonstration against discrimination in Chattogram in July past year.
Dipankar, however, was later released.
He was picked up by police at about 12:45pm from the Baatighar branch in Chattogram under the Kotwali police station. He was taken to the police station for questioning and released at about 2:00pm.
鈥楾here is a case against him [Dipankar]. We discussed the matter with him. After that, he was released,鈥� said Kotwali police station officer-in-charge Abdul Karim.
Dipankar said, 鈥楽everal police officers came to my bookstore located on the ground floor of the Press Club building at Jamal Khan and told me that the assistant commissioner of the Kotwali zone had invited me over a cup of tea. Later, I got into their vehicle, and they took me to the officer-in-charge鈥檚 room.鈥�
鈥業n response to the query from OC Abdul Karim if I knew that there was a case against me, why I didn鈥檛 turn up to the police station, I told him that I had already informed the matter to senior police officials and the home affairs ministry along with several advisers of the interim government,鈥� he said.
He further said, 鈥楲ater, my personal details were noted on a blank sheet of paper, and I was released at about 2:00pm.鈥�
Chattogram Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner (Kotwali) Mahfuzur Rahman said, 鈥楾here is a case against him [Dipankar] at the Kotwali police station. He was brought in for questioning in connection with the case as part of its investigation. After the questioning, he was released.鈥�
Kotwali police鈥檚 investigation officer Rubel Afrad said, 鈥楬e was brought in to clarify whether the person named in the case was indeed him.鈥�
Dipankar has been named as the 235th accused in a case filed on September 23 past year over an attack on a students鈥� rally against discrimination on July 4, 2024, in Chattogram鈥檚 New Market area.
The case was filed by Tafhimul Islam, a student of Chattogram University, who alleged attempted murder and use of explosives during the attack.
A total of 735 individuals were accused, including several Awami League leaders, members of parliament and journalists.
The anti-discrimination movement later turned into a student-led mass uprising that ousted the authoritarian Awami League regime on August 5, 2024.
