The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement blocked the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar highway for nine hours, demanding removal and punishment of the officer-in-charge (OC) of Patiya police station in Chattogram. The organisation made this demand alleging that its leaders and activists were beaten by the police.
The leaders and activists of the organisation carried out the road blockade in Indrapool area of Patiya from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm on Wednesday. This created severe traffic congestion on both sides of the highway causing immense suffering for the commuters using the road.
With the same demand, leaders and activists of the National Citizen Party (NCP) also blocked Zakir Hossain Road in front of the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) office in Chattogram city from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Both organisations announced fresh protest programmes in the city for Thursday demanding the removal of the OC.
Meanwhile, OC Abu Zayed Md Nazmun Noor of Patiya police station was removed around 10:30 pm Wednesday night. Confirming the news, Superintendent of Police (SP) in Chattogram Saiful Islam told Prothom Alo that the OC had been removed from his post and sent to the Chattogram Range DIG office on attachment.
Following the OC’s removal, Anti-Discrimination Student Movement president Rifat Rashid told Prothom Alo around 11:45 pm on Wednesday, “Our demands have not been fully met yet. The removal of the OC is just the beginning of it.”
“We demanded the withdrawal as well as an investigation and punishment by trial of the police officer who attacked the leaders and activists of Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. So far, we have not seen any such development. So, we urge the students and the public to stay on the streets and remain vigilant,” he added.
Around 6:30 pm on Wednesday, central joint convenor of the Bangladesh Gonotantrik Chhatra Sangsad, Khan Talat Mahmud addressed the crowd in Patiya and said, “The police are asking for time to investigate. We don’t understand why they need to investigate allies of the Awami League. If the OC is not removed, we will announce stricter programmes.”
Earlier, around 9:00 pm on Tuesday, leaders and activists of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement detained a member of Chhatra League, the banned student wing of the Awami League from in front of the central Shaheed Minar in Patiya.
After the Chhatra League member was taken to the police station, the police refused to arrest him as there was no case filed against him. This led to an argument between the police and the activists, followed by two rounds of clashes later that night. Both sides claimed that a total of 19 people were injured during the clashes.
In continuance of the incident, the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement called for a “Patiya Blockade” and a siege of the Patiya police station for Wednesday morning. Leaders and activists of the organisation started the siege of the police station at 9:00 am.
They later marched in separate processions and blocked the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar highway. While chanting slogans, they demanded the removal of OC Abu Zayed Md Nazmun Noor of Patiya police station. Leaders and activists from the Bangladesh Gonotantrik Chhatra Sangsad, the National Citizen Party (NCP), and Jatiya Juboshokti also joined the blockade.
Meanwhile, the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and NCP staged a sit-in protest in front of the office of Chattogram range deputy inspector general of police, in the city with the same demand. They also blocked Zakir Hossain Road that runs in front of the DIG office.
How the incident unfolded
Leaders and activists of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement detained a Chhatra League activist named Dipankar Dey, 29, from in front of the Central Shaheed Minar in Patiya around 9:00 pm on Tuesday night. They later took him to the Patiya police station. However, as there was no case filed against him the police initially declined to arrest him. As the situation grew tense, police had to take him into their custody later.
According to police sources, Dipankar Dey is the son of late Gouranga Dey from Banarupa Bazar area of Rangamati district. Although the family resides in Rangamati, their ancestral home is in Ward 2 of Suchakradondi area of Patiya.
Dipankar was beaten before being taken to Patiya police station on Tuesday night. But, he was not arrested without there being a case. Later, he was held in custody and sent to court under Section 54 (suspicion of criminal activity). The court ordered him to be sent to jail.
Leaders and activists of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement complained that the police did not file a case after they took Dipankar Dey, a member of banned Chhatra League to the police station. This led to a conflict between the protesters and the police. Later, the police charged on them with batons injuring several of their activists.
Joint convener of Anti-Discrimination Student Movement in Chattogram city, Ridwan Siddiqui told Prothom Alo, “The police baton-charged our activists. We were forced to call the protest programme.”
Police and eyewitnesses reported that around 20 to 25 activists brought that suspect into the station, beating him along the way. They accused him of being involved with the banned Chhatra League. At the time they created a ‘mob’ inside the police station while the police tried to reason with them. At one point, they stormed into the OC’s office and caused a commotion.
Speaking on this issue, Patiya police station OC Abu Zayed Md Nazmun Noor told Prothom Alo, “There were seven remand detainees in the station at the time. The activists of Amti-Discrimination Student Movement dragged the Chhatra League activist inside still beating him. We tried to calm them down, but they stormed into the station and became hostile. The Police just acted within the law to bring the situation under control.”
Daylong blockade, sufferings
Visiting the scene in person around 12:30 pm on Wednesday, protesters were found gathered on the highway in front of the Patiya Model Mosque in Indrapool area. They were demonstrating there by setting tyres on fire. The blockade literally brought the Chattogram–Cox’s Bazar Highway to a standstill. However, the protesters allowed ambulances and students appearing for exams to pass.
Then district administration’s executive magistrate Plabon Kumar Biswas, Patiya upazila nirbahi officer Farhanur Rahman along with army and RAB personnel arrived at the scene around 3:00 pm. They tried to reason with the protesters but the demonstrators did not move away from the highway.
The blockade caused immense suffering for pedestrians and commuters travelling on the Highway. During the in person visit, the portion from Indrapool to Amjurhat area on the highway was found closed. Many commuters were seen walking to their destinations for the vehicular movement was closed. At around 4:00 pm, a bus driver named Abdur Rahman said he had been stuck there since 11:00 am.
According to the Roads and Highways Department, between 15,000 and 18,000 vehicles use this highway on daily basis. The 146-kilometre long Chattogram–Cox’s Bazar Highway is one of the busiest and most vital roads in the country, crucial for tourism and so on. It is the main route to the tourist city, Cox’s Bazar, as well as the hill district of Bandarban. Apart from tourist, vehicles carrying goods also use this route.
The sit-in protest in front of the DIG office located in Khulshi, Chattogram began around 3:00 pm. Then, the protesters from the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and the National Citizen Party blocked Zakir Hossain Road in front of the DIG office around 3:30 pm.
Afterwards DIG of Chattogram range Ahsan Habib arrived at the scene and spoke to the protesters around 6:45 pm. He asked to give him until 12:00 pm Thursday, stating that an investigation committee has already been formed and that action would be taken against those found guilty. The protesters lifted the blockade following the DIG’s assurance.