3 missing coordinators of anti-discriminatory student movement found

The three coordinators of the ‘anti-discriminatory student movement’, a platform that waged the quota reform movement this month, have been found after being missing for the last five days.

They are - Asif Mahmud, Abu Baker Majumdar and Rifat Rashid. Both Asif and Baker posted on Facebook that they were left blindfolded five days after being picked up on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Rifat Rashid is in hiding.

All three of them are students at Dhaka University. Asif Mahmud was left blindfolded in the Hatirjheel area of the capital and Abu Baker in the Dhanmondi area. However, they didn’t make it clear as to who picked them up in their Facebook post.

Rifat Mahmud wrote in a Facebook, “Narrowly escaped from being abducted.”

In a Facebook post on Wednesday afternoon, Asif Mahmud wrote, “I was picked up from the Mahanagar residential area of Hatirjheel at 11:00 pm on 19 July. They tried to force me to call off the movement. I was given anaesthesia as I refused to do what they asked. Whenever I regained consciousness over the last four to five days, they injected me with anaesthesia again to keep me unconscious. I was left blindfolded at the same place from where I was picked up at 11:00 am on Wednesday.”

Asif further wrote, “I am undergoing treatment in a hospital at the moment. I am trying to know what happened over the last few days. I will provide details regarding our movement after consulting with other coordinators after my recovery.”

Meanwhile, Baker wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday around 6:00 pm, “I was picked up from Dhanmondi in the evening on 19 July. I was kept confined in a dark room as I denied giving a statement calling off the movement. Later, I was left blindfolded near the spot from where I was picked up. I am safe now. I will provide further details after primary treatment.”

Rifat Rashid wrote on Facebook at around 7:15 pm on Wednesday, “I am still alive. I narrowly escaped from being abducted. I resorted to a safe shelter as per decisions taken by the movement coordinators. And then starts the ‘hide and seek’ game moving from this house to that house. Whenever I tried to connect with my phone, I was tracked. I don't know how long I will endure like this.”

Sarjis Alam, one of the coordinators of the movement, confirmed the development to Prothom Alo. Rifat Rashid’s father Delowar Hossain said his son had contacted him.

Earlier, the ‘anti-discriminatory student movement’ leaders held a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity auditorium on Tuesday afternoon.

Addressing the press conference, Asif Mahmud’s father said, “I came to Dhaka from Cumilla after seeing the news of Asif being abducted in the newspapers. I went to Dhaka Medical College morgue in search of him. But he was not found there. I want my son back. This is my only demand now.”

The other movement coordinators also pressed the same demand at the press conference. This correspondent tried to contact Asif’s father over the phone several times, but his phone was switched off.

Earlier, on Friday, some people introducing themselves as members of law enforcement picked up movement coordinator Nahid Islam from Nandipara in the capital’s Khilgaon area on Friday.

After being subjected to physical and mental torture for nearly 24 hours, he was left in the Purbachal area, he said.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Sarjis Alam said the deadline of the 48-hour ultimatum to realise their four-point ‘emergency demand’ would end at 10:00 pm Thursday. They would disclose their next course of action to the media at any time of the day after reviewing the whole situation.