11 more cases against unnamed protesters

As many as 11 more cases have been filed with the Shahbagh police station in the capital over different programmes carried out by the students during the quota reform movement. Nine of these cases were lodged by the police and two Chhatra League leaders are the plaintiffs in two cases. These cases were filed between 12 July and 21 July.

As per the documents of the cases filed with the Shahbagh police station, former Dhaka University (DU) Akter Hossain has been named among the accused in a case. He is a former social welfare affairs secretary of the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU). He was arrested from the DU campus on 17 July. The ‘anti-discriminatory student movement’, a platform that waged the quota reform movement, held a ‘gayebana janaza’ (funeral in absentia) and brought out a coffin procession that day.

Clashes erupted over these programmes between the law enforcements and protesters. However, Akter was arrested before the clashes broke out. The case was lodged on 18 July and Akter is the only accused in the case. The names of the other accused were not mentioned. The case statement mentioned ‘a number of unidentified protesters, backed by Chhatra Dal and Islami Chhatra Shibir, under the banner of anti-discrimination student movement’ as the accused.

The same words were used in the statement of six more cases, one filed on 18 July, one the next day and two each on 19 July and 21 July.

Before that, another case was filed with the Shahbagh police station on 12 July. It was alleged in the case statement that a police car was vandalised on 11 July. The anti-discrimination student movement had programmes in the afternoon that day as part of the movement.

The case statement further said before that, unidentified students thronged in front of the DU central library. Later, they moved towards the Shahbagh intersection and breached the police barricade. At one point some members of the police were beaten up by them.

According to another case statement, on 11 July, some people got inside an armoured personnel carrier (APC) and water cannon placed in front of the Bangabadhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) and vandalised these. However, no one was named in the list of accused in this case either.

Law minister Anisul Huq spoke to the newspersons regarding cases filed against the protesters at his home in Gulshan on Tuesday in a press conference regarding the issuance of notification reforming the quota system in government jobs. Public administration minister Farhad Hossain, education minister Muhibul Hasan Chowdhury and information and broadcast state-minister Ali Arafat were also present in the meeting.

Addressing the press conference, law minister Anisul Huq said the government would definitely consider if the students provide them information of the cases filed against them. The government would ensure security and safety of the students to bring back the congenial environment for education.

Relevant sources say Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) leader Zahidul Islam filed a case with the Shahbagh police station in July accusing around 2,000-2,500 unidentified protesters. Zahidul Islam is the president of the BCL unit in Dr Muhammad Shahidullah Hall of DU.

He claimed in the case statement that the quota protesters had been threatening him since the beginning of their one-point movement. The protesters barged into his room at 4:00 pm on 15 July to kill him. They vandalised the room and burnt many documents including his certificates. Besides, the protesters exploded crude bombs inside the hall to spread fear. Later, they vandalised 20 to 25 rooms of BCL activists inside the hall.

He further claimed that the protesters vandalised the hall for about five to six hours and kept them confined inside the hall from 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm.

Jagannath University BCL organising secretary Mafizur Rahman filed a case with the Shahbagh police station on 21 July. The case statement reads Mafizur was coming from Jatrabari on a motorcycle to join the BCL programme at the foot of Raju Sculpture on DU campus. He was stopped by some Chhatra Dal and Chhatra Shibir activists under the banner of anti-discriminatory student movement. They checked his phone and later vandalised his motorcycle. At one point, they took him to the Amar Ekushey Hall to kill him. He was tortured there from the afternoon till 1:30 am the next day.

The protesting students demanding a rational reform of the quota system submitted a memorandum to the president of the country. However, the police filed a case against unidentified quota protesters the next day. Shahbagh police station sub-inspector (SI) Md Sanarul Haque was the plaintiff in the case.

The case statement reads several thousand students from different universities and colleges in the capital including DU, Jagannath University, Dhaka College, seven colleges under the DU and a number of outsiders, thronged in front of the DU central library around 9:00 am on 14 July to submit the memorandum addressing the president. Later, they brought out a procession. They were obstructed at the Shahbagh intersection as they tried to move towards the Matsya Bhaban. However, they continued to move towards the Matsya Bhaban and were obstructed by the police in front of the IEB Bhaban.

It further states, the protesters were requested to refrain from moving further citing the prime minister’s programme at the Osmani auditorium that day, but the protesters created a riot unlawfully denying the request from the police and obstructed police from discharging official duties.

The case statement further said at one point the protesters beat up the police and started hurling brickbats targeting the law enforcement at the Kadam fountain. Several police members sustained injuries in the incident. The protesters also hurled abusive words toward the police, according to the case statement.

The quota protesters brought out a coffin procession following the gayebana janaza held in front of the DU vice chancellor’s residence on 17 July. A clash broke out centering the procession. A day after the incident Shahbagh police station SI Md Sanarul Haque filed a case as the plaintiff over the clash.

The case statement said, the programme to hold the gayebana janaza on 17 July was declared to create instability countrywide. The DU administration declared the closure of the university for an indefinite period and ordered the students to vacate the halls that day. Instead of doing that the students decided to continue with their movement. Following the gayebana janaza, the protesters brought out a procession with sticks and brickbats. The procession moved through the roads in front of the Begum Rokeya Hall and DU VC’s residence. The protesters were chanting instigative slogans at the time. At one point the police requested the students to leave the roads. However, the protesters exploded crude bombs and hurled brickbats toward the police in response, police claimed in the case statement.

It also stated that the helmets of some police personnel were shattered from the brickbats flung by the protesters. And, some were injured.

Speaking on the issue of the nine cases filed by police, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) deputy commissioner (DC) in Ramna division Mohammad Ashrful Islam told Prothom Alo that as far as his knowledge no cases have been filed mentioning the name of any student. Investigating the cases according to the law, the offenders will be identified and then they will be brought to justice.

In the statement of another case, sub-inspector (SI) of Shahbagh police station Mianul Islam Khan mentioned that the protesters demanding quota reform demonstrated at the base Raju Memorial sculpture on Dhaka University campus on 15 July.

The statement further said at the same time, Chhatra League started their programme at 3:00 pm in protest of the spirit of tarnishing the spirit of liberation war. During the sit-in programme of Chhatra League, towards 4:00 pm in the afternoon the protesters carrying out a procession marched into the Shahidullah Hall of Dhaka University and started vandalism there. The protesters entered other halls and vandalised there as well. They barred the general students including Chhatra League members from entering the halls. While Chhatra League members and the general students tried to enter the halls, they blasted crude bombs upon them. They hurled brickbats as well. This injured 250 to 300 students. And, the protesters threw crude bombs at the police personnel while they were doing their duty to bring the situation under control.

Speaking regarding the cases filed by the police, movement coordinator Sarjis Alam told Prothom Alo, “It’s the government who said the protesting students were not involved in arson and vandalism. So the allegations brought up by the police don’t match the statement of the government. We don’t support vandalism or arson. There is no connection between the arson attacks in recent times and the students. Bringing up such allegations despite all these indicates that these cases have been purposefully."

*This report appeared on the print and online versions of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Ashish Basu and Nourin Ahmed Monisha