3 SAD members held after 'argument with police' in Dhanmondi, later released

Three members of Students Against Discrimination were detained following an argument with police in Dhaka's Dhanmondi area yesterday (19 May).

A video of the heated argument has been circulating on social media since then.

According to the police, the incident took place yesterday night, when the individuals, identifying themselves as leaders of the SAD, attempted to create unrest on Road No 4 in Dhanmondi.

The detainees were identified as Saiful Islam Rabbi, convener of the SAD's Mohammadpur unit, Afarhan Sarkar Dinar, senior joint secretary of the Dhaka metropolitan unit, and Md Ullah Jisan, who holds no official position in the organisation.

Speaking to The Business Standard today (20 May), Assistant Commissioner of Police (Dhanmondi zone) Shah Mostafa Tarikuzzaman said, "A group tried to enter the residence of a publisher, labelling him an 'ally of fascism'. Upon receiving the report, police arrived and intervened.

"The individuals demanded that the publisher be arrested, but there were no cases filed against him. When the police refused to act without legal grounds, an argument broke out," the officer said.

He further said the group was taken to the local police station later that night upon instructions from senior officers. "However, no case was filed against them as of this afternoon."

Later in the day, all three were released under the custody of Hannan Masud, senior joint chief coordinator of the National Citizen Party (NCP).

Confirming the release, Dhanmondi Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Kashainu said, "The three detainees were released in the afternoon. The NCP leader came on their behalf, and we released them into his custody."

Speaking to reporters, Hannan Masud said, "I came just to check on the situation. It was a misunderstanding that has now been resolved. There are others involved in this incident, and we are investigating their roles."

Meanwhile, SAD announced via its official Facebook page that Saiful Islam Rabbi has been relieved of his organisational duties due to "ethical misconduct."

Taking law into own hands won't be tolerated: DMP

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) today stated that any attempt to take the law into one's own hands will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

In a press release, DMP said around 12:30am, an emergency call was received through the national emergency helpline 999. The caller reported that a group of individuals was attempting to forcibly enter a house by breaking its gate on Road 4 in the Dhanmondi area of the capital.

In response, the officer-in-charge of Dhanmondi Model Police Station along with other officers and force members quickly arrived at the scene.

Upon arrival, the police found 15–20 individuals present at the location attempting to break into the house. When the police tried to de-escalate the situation, the individuals acted aggressively and demanded the arrest of a person named Md Golam Mostafa.

To bring the situation under control, the police detained three individuals from the scene and brought them to the station. Later, after consulting with senior authorities and on the condition that they would not engage in such illegal actions again, the detainees were released today.

DMP urged all citizens to refrain from taking the law into their own hands and to show respect for legal procedures.