3 quota protest leaders held for their safety: Home minister

Three quota protest coordinators have been taken into custody for the sake of for their own security, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said today (27 July).

"To ensure their safety and identify those threatening them, we need to interrogate them. We will decide on the next steps after the interrogation," he said while visiting vandalised government offices in Narayanganj.

He further said, "We will overcome this situation very soon. Some incidents have occurred because students were misled and there have been orchestrated killings."

The home minister stated that the attackers' primary anger was directed towards the police and the Awami League. 

He explained, "When RAB, Police, and BGB were unable to control the situation, we requested the army's assistance as per the prime minister's direction to restore peace."

Addressing the newly raised demands by the students, the minister said the prime minister acknowledged their logical demands and assured they would be gradually accepted. 

"However, the students did not give the opportunity for this process to unfold," he added.

Earlier in the day, DB Chief Harun Or Rashid families of the quota movement leaders were worried about their safety.

"We took them in our custody to keep them safe," he added.

Earlier yesterday, Coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, Asif Mahmud, Abu Baker Majumdar and Nahid Islam, were picked up by DB members from a hospital in the capital where they were undergoing treatment.