DU student freed hours after DB picks her up
About four hours after detaining her from Shamsunnahar Hall area over “provocative” Facebook posts, detectives released Dhaka University student Sheikh Tasnim Afroz Emi around midnight last night.
Tasnim, a master's student of sociology department, was handed over to the DU authorities after receiving an undertaking from them, Masudur Rahman, deputy commissioner (media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, told The Daily Star early today.
She is also an activist of the quota reform movement.
Mir Muddasser Hossain, deputy commissioner of the DB's serious crime unit, told this newspaper around 10:00pm that Tasnim had posted “political status” on Facebook over the quota reform movement and some recent issues, which were “provocative and violent”.
“We detained her for interrogation. We are now checking her Facebook account and will take necessary actions after that,” he said.
Witnesses said Tasnim was taking tea in front of Shamsunnahar Hall with a friend around 8:00pm.
Some DB officials went towards the duo, introduced themselves and asked Tasnim to go with them to talk with top officials.
All of a sudden, two white microbuses reached there and the DB men got the DU student into one of the vehicles.
Contacted, DU Proctor Prof AKM Golam Rabbani said Tasnim had been picked up by DB officials for interrogation.
Meanwhile, quota reformists yesterday said some quotas should be retained in civil service.
Leaders of Bangladesh Shadharan Chhatra Odhikar Sangrakkhan Parishad, the platform of quota reformists, made the remark at a press conference at the auditorium of Crime Reporters Association of Bangladesh.
They earlier had said the quota should be reduced to 10 percent from the existing 56 percent, but did not give any details.
On Monday, Cabinet Secretary M Shafiul Alam, chief of the seven-member review committee, told journalists that the panel suggested abolishing almost all quotas and prioritising a merit-based recruitment system.
He said the committee would also seek the Supreme Court's opinion about the 30 percent quota for freedom fighters' children and grandchildren.
Yesterday, the quota reform movement leaders reiterated their three-point demand, including unconditional release of the arrested leaders of the platform and exemplary punishment of the attackers of quota reformists. They issued an ultimatum to the government to fulfil their demands by August 31.
Speaking at the press conference, Bin Yamin Molla, a joint convener of the quota reform platform, said people from all walks of life had extended their support to their five-point demand and hence it was proved that the existing quota system was unacceptable and discriminatory.
He said distrust and doubt had been created in the protestors' mind as the government did not take any initiative even after sitting with the quota reform leaders for four times. The government rather resorted to repressing the protesters, he alleged.
Yamin also said the government was using a Supreme Court observation as an “excuse to delay the reforms”.
Mentioning that the existing problems could be resolved through discussions, he urged the government to sit with the quota reformists immediately.
Another joint convener of the platform Ataullah demanded security of the protestors, saying that most of the movement leaders could not even enter their respective university campuses.
In February, students of different public universities and jobseekers, under the banner of Bangladesh Sadharan Chhatra Adhikar Sangrakkhan Parishad, started the movement.
Amid countrywide agitation, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on April 11 announced all quotas in civil service would be abolished.
But as no gazette notification was issued, the protesters began boycotting classes and examinations in all universities and colleges from May 14.
The movement lost momentum following attacks on demonstrators allegedly by Chhatra League activists and arrests of some of its leaders.
[Our DU correspondent contributed to this report.]