Police have arrested 72 people in connection with a sudden rally involving Awami League and affiliated organisations in Dhaka’s Gulshan area, with 40 more arrests reported in the latest round of action. The arrests stem from an anti-terrorism case filed over the rally held on Friday. Police had previously arrested 32 people in connection with the same incident.
According to police and the case statement, a group of Awami League and affiliated organisation activists gathered in an alley off Road 3 in Gulshan police station area at around 11.45am on Friday, 11 September. Police said nearly 1,000 people had assembled and attempted to organise a procession.
During the gathering, participants reportedly chanted slogans including “Joy Bangla, Sheikh Hasina will return”, according to the case statement. Police subsequently moved to disperse the crowd, after which the situation became tense.
Police alleged that two cocktail explosions occurred while officers were attempting to disperse the gathering. The case statement also alleges that cocktails were thrown towards police personnel. Officers fired two rounds of rubber bullets as they sought to bring the situation under control. The participants then dispersed and moved away in different directions.
Several people were detained from the scene and surrounding areas. Police also said five cocktails were recovered from the area.
In the initial phase, police reported the arrest of two people from the rally, identified as Abdur Rahim, 49, and Md Arafat, 20. A further 32 people were later arrested on allegations that they had directly taken part in the procession. Police subsequently arrested another 40 people during further operations, bringing the total number of arrests to 72.
Gulshan police station Sub-Inspector Md Mahbub Hossain filed the case under the Anti-Terrorism Act. The case names 118 people as accused and also includes between 80 and 100 unidentified individuals.
The case statement alleges that those gathered raised slogans against the government and the state, created disorder and carried out cocktail explosions. It also alleges that cocktails were thrown at police when officers attempted to disperse the gathering.
According to the statement, the explosions were intended to create panic among the public and cause damage to state property and the lives and property of citizens. These remain allegations under investigation, however, and the accused cannot be considered guilty unless the charges are established in court.
Meanwhile, 24 of those arrested in the first phase were produced before Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sarah Farzana Haque’s court on Saturday, 12 September. Investigating officer SI Ruhul Amin sought 10 days’ remand for questioning.
The prosecution told the court that questioning was necessary to identify the alleged planners, instigators and financiers behind the rally and the cocktail explosions. Lawyers representing the accused opposed the remand applications and sought bail for their clients.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the court granted 10 days’ remand for each of the 24 accused.
The remand hearing for one of the arrested individuals was postponed after the person was claimed to be a minor. The court ordered that the individual be sent to jail while documents concerning their age are reviewed. A subsequent hearing has been scheduled to consider the matter.
Police said operations to identify and arrest others allegedly involved in the rally are continuing. Investigators are also working to establish the identities of those listed as unidentified accused in the case.
The latest arrests underline the continuing investigation into the Gulshan incident, while the legal process will determine the validity of the allegations brought against those detained and named in the case.
