6 coordinators of quota reform movement released

The six coordinators of the quota reform movement were released on Thursday (1 August), several days after being detained by the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).

Nahid Islam, Abu Baker Majumder, and Asif Mahmud were picked up on 26 July, followed by Sarjis Alam and Hasnat Abdullah the next day, citing "security concerns". Nusrat Tabassum, the only female coordinator, was detained early on 28 July.

Nahid's father Badrul Islam said that around 6am on Thursday, the families were called and asked to come to the DB office. However, later around 1:30pm police officials dropped the six home separately.

The coordinators were asked not to talk to the media, he added.

After their release, Hasnat Abdullah told journalists over the phone that they were dropped off at home in the afternoon. "Before the release, we staged a 36-hour strike inside the DB office," he said.

Meanwhile, Dhaka University Law Professor Asif Nazrul, who was part of a human chain protest in front of the DB office on Mintoo Road, accused former DB's additional commissioner Md Harun-Or-Rashid of abduction and torture.

The professor called for legal action against Harun.

The police official previously requested families not to worry about the coordinators of the quota movement who were taken into DB custody "for security reasons".

"If someone believes their life is in danger then it is our moral responsibility to ensure their safety," he said at a press conference at the DB office on 28 July afternoon.

On 31 July, Harun was transferred to the post of additional commissioner (Crime and Operations) of the DMP "in public interest".

While in custody at the DB office, the coordinators "called off all protest programmes of the movement" through a video message from the DB headquarters on 28 July evening.

In the video message, Nahid Islam, coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, is heard saying, "Our main demand was the logical reform of the quota [system for government jobs]. It has already been fulfilled by the government.

"Now, I strongly urge the government to reopen educational institutions quickly to ensure a fair learning environment. We are withdrawing all our programmes from this moment.

 "Many were unexpectedly injured and killed in the quota reform movement and the situations that arose in its wake. Moreover, there have been many violent incidents including arson in state institutions. We strongly condemn all these untoward incidents and demand fair investigation and speedy trial."

Before this, they were seen having evening snacks with Harun, with photos and videos of this posted on his Facebook page.

The High Court later expressed its indignation over the release of such a video, terming the incident a "mockery" of the nation.

"Whoever you detain, you make them sit at the dining table. Who is asking you to do these things? Do not mock the nation in this manner," the HC bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice SM Masud Hossain Dolon told the state counsels during a hearing of a petition on 29 July.