Police have detained six leaders and activists of the now-banned Awami League’s Jashore unit during what authorities described as a secret meeting at a restaurant in Gulshan, Dhaka.
The six were detained at around 9.30pm on Friday from a restaurant on the fifth floor of Police Plaza in Gulshan. Police said the operation was carried out after receiving confidential information about the gathering.
Those detained are Mehedi Masud Chowdhury, general secretary of the Chougachha upazila Awami League; SM Rezwan Habib Alif, a member of the same organisation; former Chhatra League leader Nannu Mia; former Dhaka College Chhatra League leader Aminur Rahman Palash; Awami League activist Sajal Ahmed; and former Chhatra League leader Ibrahim Hossain.
Gulshan Police Station Officer-in-Charge Daud Hossain said officers conducted the operation after receiving intelligence about the meeting. According to him, the group had allegedly planned to organise a procession in the capital after the meeting.
Police sources said several other leaders and activists were also present at the restaurant. The gathering was reportedly being used to discuss and form committees for the Chougachha upazila and union-level units of the Awami League and its affiliated organisations.
The situation changed after police arrived at the restaurant. Several of those attending the meeting reportedly managed to leave the premises after becoming aware of the police presence. Officers, however, detained the six individuals.
The police operation has brought renewed attention to political gatherings involving members of the Awami League and its affiliated organisations following the party’s activities being prohibited. According to the information provided by police, investigators are examining the purpose of the meeting, the proposed committee formations and the reported plan for a procession.
The identities of those detained indicate that the group included both current and former political organisers, as well as former student leaders. Mehedi Masud Chowdhury holds a senior organisational position in the Chougachha upazila unit, while several of the others have previously been associated with the student wing.
Officer-in-Charge Daud Hossain said legal proceedings against the detained individuals were being initiated. Police are also expected to establish the identities and roles of those who were present but left the restaurant before they could be detained.
No statement from the six detainees was immediately available regarding the allegations or the purpose of the meeting. Any allegations against them will be subject to the relevant legal process.
