Police in Rangpur have arrested Anima Zaman Proma, general secretary of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Digital University unit of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), in connection with allegations of anti-state activities and clandestine campaigning for the ousted Awami League.
The arrest took place on Friday afternoon (16 October) at her residence in the New Engineerpara area of Rangpur Metropolitan City. Officers from the Kotwali Police Station executed the operation before producing her in court later that evening, where she was remanded to jail pending further investigation.
Proma’s political career gained prominence on 11 April 2023, when the central leadership of the Chhatra League—the student wing of the Bangladesh Awami League—appointed her to lead the digital university’s campus chapter. She held the position of general secretary until recent political upheavals dramatically reshaped the country’s political landscape.
Following the mass student-led uprising in July and August 2024, which culminated in the fall of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s regime, high-profile figures and affiliated student activists went into hiding amidst widespread public outrage and legal crackdowns. Proma similarly vanished from public view. However, law enforcement officials revealed that she had allegedly been conducting secret promotional campaigns and political operations on behalf of the former ruling party.
Providing confirmation of the arrest, Inspector (Investigation) Milon Chatterjee of Rangpur Metropolitan Police’s Kotwali Police Station confirmed that procedures under the Anti-Terrorism Act are currently underway against the student leader. Details regarding the exact clauses invoked or specific evidence presented in court remain undisclosed by the authorities at this stage.
This law enforcement action adds to the ongoing legal troubles facing her family. Proma’s father, Ataur Zaman Babu, former president of the Rangpur City Awami Volunteer League, has been incarcerated for over two years. He faces multiple charges, including attempted murder and violent assault linked to the crackdowns during the July public protests.
The arrest reflects the continued security operations targeting remnants of the former ruling administration across Bangladesh as law enforcement agencies work to investigate post-uprising activities. Legal proceedings against Proma are expected to continue in the Rangpur Magistrate’s Court in the coming days.
