Activists Besiege Police Station Following Student Leader’s Arrest

The political landscape in Habiganj reached a fever pitch on Saturday evening as over a hundred activists from the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement laid siege to the Habiganj Sadar Model Police Station. The demonstration was ignited by the detention of Mahdi Hasan, the organisation’s general secretary for the district, who was taken into custody by authorities at approximately 7:00 pm. By midnight, the atmosphere remained electric as protesters refused to vacate the premises until their leader was released.

Mahdi Hasan, a first-year undergraduate student at Habiganj Brindaban Government College and a resident of the Bhadoi area, recently became the centre of a national firestorm. His arrest follows the viral spread of a video in which he was heard making provocative remarks during a heated confrontation with law enforcement. In the footage, Hasan is heard reminding officers of the violent unrest in Baniyachung, specifically citing the burning of the local police station and the fatal attack on Sub-Inspector Santosh during the July protests.

Timeline of Key Events

The controversy traces back to Thursday, when Shayestaganj police detained Enamul Hasan, an individual allegedly linked to the Chhatra League. On Friday, Mahdi Hasan led a group to the station to demand Enamul’s release, arguing he was a fellow soldier of the July movement. It was during this standoff in the Officer-in-Charge’s room that Hasan made his contentious remarks. He later attempted to clarify his stance in a video message sent to the press, asserting that his comments were an accidental “slip of the tongue” born out of extreme emotional duress and should not be interpreted as a confession of personal involvement in arson or homicide.

Despite his apology, the authorities proceeded with his detention on Saturday. Speaking to the assembled crowd outside the station, protest leaders including SM Russell and Faisal Amin argued that the administration was unfairly targeting a “soldier of the revolution” while ignoring genuine criminals. They contended that the current government owes its legitimacy to the July movement and warned that undermining its leaders would have dire political consequences.

As of late Saturday night, Superintendent of Police Yasmin Khatun stated that the specific charges against Hasan would be disclosed to the media in due course. Meanwhile, the protesters remained defiant, chanting slogans and vowing to maintain their position until Hasan is granted his freedom. The incident underscores the fragile relationship between the student-led revolutionary factions and the established law enforcement apparatus in the post-uprising era.