Student-people movement: 126 armed attackers identified, only 19 arrested 

A young man, in a video clip, was seen shooting at a group of protesters with a firearm during the anti-discrimination student movement in the capital’s Mohammadpur area. He was later identified as Asif Ahmed, then councilor of ward no-33 of Dhaka north city corporation and nephew of former army chief Aziz Ahmed. 

The footage was recorded on 4 August, when Asif led local leaders and activists of the Awami League, Jubo League, and Chhatra League to attack the protesting students and the masses in the Mohammadpur area. 

Another video clip, recorded from the Basila road of the area on the same day, showed a group of armed people, including Tarekuzzaman alias Rajib, former councilor of ward no-33, and Masudur Rahman alias Biplop, personal assistant of former lawmaker Jahangir Kabir Nanak, to fire at the protesters with firearms. 

Despite having clear video evidence, none of these individuals have been arrested so far.

Mohammadpur had turned into a focal point of violence during the anti-discrimination student movement in late July and early August. From 17 to 21 July, and again on 4 August, students and other protesters came under severe attack on the road stretching from Mohammadpur bus stand to Basila. 

Alongside law enforcement agencies, Asif, Rajib and Biplob led attacks in the area to suppress the student movement. Following the downfall of the Awami League government, they all went into hiding, and have so far managed to avoid arrest. 

The use of firearms to quell the student movement was not limited to Dhaka. At least 11 other districts -- Chatogram, Feni, Narayanganj, Faridpur, Rangpur, Jamalpur, Habiganj, Rajshahi, Sirajganj, Sylhet, and Lakshmipur -- witnessed incidents of gunshots at students by leaders and activists of the Awami League and its affiliates. In Dhaka district, gunfire was reported from Savar, Ashulia, and Keraniganj areas.  

Prothom Alo has identified a total of 126 armed attackers across the country, while only 19 of them have been arrested so far. 

Some 10 armed men have been identified in Chattogram, but the police managed to arrest only three. Among others, law enforcement agencies arrested one out of 33 armed men in Feni, while one of four identified armed men in Keraniganj and one of two armed attackers in Sirajganj have been arrested.  

Lt Col Md Munim Ferdous, director (legal and media wing) of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), told Prothom Alo on Saturday that those involved in the attacks with firearms are being identified, and efforts are underway to apprehend them.

Alongside law enforcement agencies, a significant number of leaders and activists of Awami League were seen firing at the protesters in Chattogram city. The identities of 10 gunmen were confirmed through video footage and eyewitness accounts. They all are affiliated with the Chattogram city unit of Jubo League and Swechchhashebok League, two subordinate bodies of Awami League. 

Among them, Helal Akbar Chowdhury alias Babar, former deputy finance secretary of the Jubo League central executive committee, was seen brandishing a firearm while attacking the protesters in the port city. He is a close associate of former education minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury.

Apart from him, Swechchhashebok League activist Delwar and Jubo League activists Touhid and Firoz were seen wielding firearms. However, none of them have been arrested yet.

In this regard, Kazi Md Tarek Aziz, additional deputy commissioner of Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP), said they could not run any drive due to attacks on the police stations and subsequent looting of firearms. Most of the identified armed men have gone into hiding, but the police are now conducting drives to apprehend them. 

A video footage that went viral on social media showed Awami League leaders and activists firing with advanced weapons, including what appeared to be AK-47, at students in the Mohipal area of Feni on 4 August. The shooting led to the deaths of nine individuals, including four students, on the day. 

Two of the armed men have been identified – Ziauddin Bablu, former vice president of Chhatra League’s Feni district unit, and Abdur Rauf, general secretary of Kazirbag union Awami League in Feni sadar.

Law enforcement agencies analyzed multiple video footage recorded in the Mohipal area on the fateful day and identified at least 33 individuals with different sorts of arms. They all are followers of Nizam Hazari, general secretary of Awami League’s Feni district unit. 

However, only one – Osman Goni alias Liton, general secretary of Chhatra League’s ward no-4 unit under Feni municipality – has been arrested. Goni admitted to his participation in the attacks and deposited a confessional statement under the section-164 of code of criminal procedure (CrPC). 

Asked about the issue, Marma Singh Tripura, the officer-in-charge (OC) of Feni sadar model police station, said they are conducting drives to arrest the armed men. 

At least 14 armed individuals have been identified to have attacked with firearms during the movement from 17 July to 5 August in Narayanganj.

According to witnesses, some prominent figures, including former lawmaker Shamim Osman, his son Oyon Osman, nephew Ajmeri Osman, brother in-law Tanvir Ahmed, and Awami League's Narayanganj city unit joint secretary Shah Nijam, were seen brandishing firearms while attacking the protesters.  

None of the identified individuals have been brought to book yet. District administration sources said Shamim Osman, Oyon Osman, Tanvir Ahmed, and Shah Nijam maintain licensed arms, but they did not submit the weapons as per the home ministry instruction. 

In Faridpur, at least 33 local leaders and activists of the Awami League, Jubo League, and Chhatra League carried firearms and fired at students and other protesters from 3 to 5 August. 

They have been identified, but are yet to be arrested. Among them are former councilors Mubarak Khalifa, Abdul Haque, and Golam Nasir, district Chhatra League president Tamidul Rashid Chowdhury, general secretary Fahim Ahmed, district Jubo League convener Ziaul Hasan, and joint convener Shah Md Sultan. 

When contacted, Faridpur Kotwali OC Asaduzzaman said there is no case at his police station over the incident of brandishing firearms. 

At least 12 armed men, led by former lawmaker Abu Zahir, opened fire at students on the premises of Brindaban Government College in Habiganj on 4 August, leaving two dead and scores injured. 

The district’s superintendent of police, Rezaul Haque Khan, said efforts are underway to bring all the shooters under the law.

According to Prothom Alo correspondents, some 12 armed men have been identified in Sylhet, while three in Jamalpur, two in Savar, and one each in Rajshahi, Lakshmipur and Rangpur. They all have not been arrested yet.

The scenario is quite similar in Dhaka, as the armed attackers have mostly been beyond the reach of laws. 

For instance, SM Jahid, former lawmaker from Manikganj-1 and a former central leader of Jubo League, led an armed attack on students in Mirpur on 4 August. Jahangir Hossain, former councilor of ward no-54 of Dhaka north, was also seen wielding a firearm in the Zamzam Tower area of Uttara on 2 August. There were three more armed men with him. 

Former Chhatra League leader Hasan Molla was spotted brandishing a firearm on the Dhaka University campus on 16 July. Murtafa bin Omar, vice president of Turag Chhatra League, was seen carrying a firearm in the Azampur area on 4 August. 

None of them have been arrested. 

Abdul Kader, a key coordinator of the Students Against Discrimination, told Prothom Alo that there has been slow progress in arresting the armed attackers as the police could not be activated in full swing. 

He said the students as well as the masses hope law enforcement agencies will ensure the real criminals are arrested as early as possible.