Police have arrested 72 people in connection with a sudden procession involving Awami League and its affiliated organisations in Dhaka’s Gulshan area. Forty more people were arrested in the latest operation linked to an anti-terrorism case filed over the incident. Police had previously detained 32 people in connection with the same case.
According to police and the case statement, 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 claimed that nearly 1,000 people assembled there and attempted to bring out a procession.
Participants reportedly chanted slogans including “Joy Bangla, Sheikh Hasina will return”, according to the case statement. The situation became tense when police moved to disperse the gathering.
Police said two cocktails exploded during the attempt to disperse the crowd. The authorities also alleged that cocktails were thrown towards police personnel. Officers fired two rounds of rubber bullets to bring the situation under control, after which the participants dispersed and moved into different areas.
Several people were detained from the scene and nearby areas. Police also reported recovering five cocktails from the location.
Two people were initially reported arrested following the incident. They were identified as Abdur Rahim, 49, and Md Arafat, 20. Police later arrested another 32 people on allegations that they had directly participated in the procession. A further 40 were subsequently arrested during police operations, taking the total number of arrests in the case to 72.
Gulshan police station Sub-Inspector Md Mahbub Hossain filed the case under the Anti-Terrorism Act. A total of 118 people have been named in the case, while another 80 to 100 unidentified individuals have also been included as accused.
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 officers when they attempted to disperse the gathering.
The statement further alleges that the explosions were intended to create panic among the public and cause damage to state property and the lives and property of citizens. These allegations remain subject to investigation. The accused cannot be treated as guilty unless the allegations against them are established through the judicial process.
Meanwhile, 24 of those arrested in the initial 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 to question them in connection with the case.
The prosecution told the court that questioning the accused was necessary to identify the alleged planners, instigators and financiers behind the procession and the reported cocktail explosions. Prosecutors argued that interrogation could assist investigators in establishing the circumstances surrounding the incident and identifying others allegedly involved.
Lawyers for the accused opposed the remand applications and sought bail. After hearing arguments from both sides, the court granted 10 days’ remand for each of the 24 accused.
The remand hearing of one arrested person was postponed after the individual was claimed to be a minor. The court ordered that the person be sent to jail while documents relating to their age are reviewed. A further hearing has been scheduled to consider the matter.
Police said their investigation remains ongoing. Officers are continuing efforts to identify and arrest others allegedly involved in the procession, while those named in the case and the unidentified accused are also being traced.
The investigation is expected to focus on the circumstances surrounding the gathering, the alleged use of cocktails and the identities of those who may have been involved. The allegations made in the case will ultimately be subject to scrutiny through the court process.
