We were forced to issue statement in custody; protest to continue: 6 quota reform coordinators

Statement highlights:

• Tortured in custody
• Family, media left in the dark
• No one allowed to meet them
• Released in fear of death amid ongoing hunger strike

Six leaders of the quota reform protests, who were freed yesterday from the custody of the Detective Branch (DB) of police, have said they were forced to withdraw their programmes while in police custody.

“We did not voluntarily give the video statement broadcast from the DB office withdrawing the movement. No decision on the anti-discrimination student movement can come from the DB office,” said the coordinators in a statement released today (2 August).

They said, “No decision will be taken without consulting all coordinators and agitating students across the country.”

About the next course of action for the movement, they said, “Our movement will continue till our demands are met. I urge all the countrymen to come to the streets defying the repression imposed by the government. We won’t let the blood of the martyrs go in vain,” the statement said.

The leaders said in the statement, “We were forcefully detained by DB officials in the name of security. Although the home minister and the DB chief had talked about our safety, they did it just to separate us from the ongoing movement.”

“We were told that we can’t be released without the permission of the court. The video statement showing us withdrawing our programmes was prepared by force. Even, we were pressurised to sit with former DB Chief Harun-Or-Rashid and eat dinner while they captured the video,” the statement reads.

In the statement, the leaders said they do not want any “farcical safety” what they demand is justice for the killings that took place during the recent quota protest violence.

“We were unjustly detained on the orders of the home minister. The government has put the law enforcers face to face with the students and citizens. The government is still continuing its repression of students and arresting and torturing demonstrating students across the country and obstructing peaceful programmes,” it said.

“From the night of 30 July, Nahid Islam, Asif Mahmud and Abu Baker Majumder started a hunger strike demanding justice for the deceased and an end to mass arrests and harassment. Knowing about the matter, Hasnat Abdullah, Sarjis Alam and Nusrat Tabassum also refused to eat. However, the matter was hidden from our families and media. Later, DB officials were forced to let us go, fearing that we might die any moment,” the statement added.

“For the past seven days, we and our family have been harassed, tortured while they staged drama in the DB office. Our families were called and kept waiting for 13 hours with assurances that we would be released. When our teachers came to meet us, they were not allowed.” they said.

On 26 July, three coordinators of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud, who were under treatment, and Abu Baker Majumdar were forcibly taken to the DB office at Minto Road from Gonoshasthaya Nagar Hospital in Dhaka.

On 27 July, coordinators Sarjis Alam and Hasnat Abdullah were picked up by DB officials from Science Lab area of Dhaka.

On 28 July, coordinator Nusrat Tabassum was forcibly brought to the DB office after breaking into her house in the early hours.