Baatighar owner Dipankar Das picked up by police, freed after hour-long interrogation

Dipankar Das, owner of the bookstore and publishing house Baatighar, was released an hour after being taken to Kotwali police station in Chattogram for questioning over a case linked to last year's July uprising violence.

Around 1pm today (28 June), a team of police from Kotwali police station picked up Dipankar from the Jamalkhan branch of Baatighar.

According to Baatighar staff, Inspector (Investigation) Rubel Afrad arrived at the store around 12:45pm and informed Dipankar that the assistant commissioner of Kotwali police zone had invited him for tea. 

He was then taken away in a police vehicle. 

Assistant Commissioner (Kotwali Zone) Mahfuzur Rahman confirmed that Dipankar was taken to the station to discuss a case in which he is named as one of the accused.

According to case documents, Dipankar is named as the 235th accused in a case filed over an attack on a student-public gathering in the city's New Market area on 4 August 2024. The case, filed by Chittagong University student Tafhimul Islam, accuses 735 individuals under charges of attempted murder and the Explosives Act.

After his release, Dipankar told the media, "The officer-in-charge of Kotwali police station questioned me about various aspects of the case. I clearly stated that I have no involvement in the incident."

Kotwali police station Officer-in-charge Abdul Karim could not be contacted for comment as his official mobile number was found switched off.

Today also marked the founding anniversary of Baatighar Chattogram. Baatighar currently operates six bookstores across the country.