Quota coordinators were not forced to issue statement: DB chief

The six coordinators of the quota reform platform, under Detective Branch (DB) custody police, were not forced to issue the statement announcing call off programme, DB chief Mohammad Harun-Or-Rashid said today (29 July).

“We never forced the coordinators for issuing statement. It is a rumour that coordinators were forced to give the statement,” Harun, also additional commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), told journalists in front of the DB office.

Speaking at a briefing, he dismissed claims that the DB coerced the coordinators into issuing a statement ending the quota reform movement, calling it a rumour.

The DB chief requested all, who spread the misinformation, refrain from spreading the rumour.

He said the coordinators of the student movement were taken into custody for questioning and their own security, adding, “They [coordinators] are doing well and already had met their families. They will be released soon.”

“The DB is a place of trust. None is detained there. No statements are taken by applying force. Rather, they (coordinators) realised that the government had accepted all their demands. They told us in a written statement. That is why they announced an end to the protests,” Harun added.

“We spoke to their families. The families of the coordinators already described that the coordinators are doing well under DB’s custody. They visited the DB office yesterday night and today (Monday),” he said.

“You know, the quota reform movement was organised by students. But a vested quarter, led by Jamaat-BNP activists, was involved in violence and arson attacks centring the protests to destabilise the country. They killed police officers and hanged them alongside other people,” he said.