Countrymen feel trapped in a ‘kingdom of terror’: GM Quader

Opposition leader and Jatiya Party Chairman Golam Mohammad Quader has called for the immediate release of student leaders detained “under the guise of protective custody.”

According to a press release on Monday, GM Quader said the students have been held in the Detective Branch (DB) office for days without access to their families.

He said, “In Bangladesh, power belongs to the people who have the right to criticise and protest against the government.” 

He condemned the use of state forces to violently suppress non-violent protests, asserting that law enforcement should never fire upon peaceful demonstrators.

Expressing concern over the anxiety caused to the detained students’ families, GM Quader criticised the intelligence agency’s alleged coercion of the students to withdraw their movement.

The JP chairman further condemned the excessive use of force by law enforcement against the anti-discrimination student movement. 

He cited reports indicating that bullets were fired indiscriminately from helicopters, rooftops, and mobile vehicles, resulting in deaths of several people including children. 

He questioned the purpose of such actions and demanded government accountability for these deaths.

Quader highlighted that ordinary people are being indiscriminately arrested. This has created a climate of fear among the general public, making them feel like they live in a “kingdom of terror.” 

He called for an impartial investigation into every act of violence, injury, and death to ensure justice.