Police have arrested five leaders of the Mohila Awami League in connection with an attack on an anti-discrimination student protest in Dhaka’s Mirpur.
The arrests were made late on Thursday around 11:45pm in the Pallabi area, according to a statement from Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Deputy Commissioner for Media and Public Relations, Muhammad Talebur Rahman, on Friday evening.
The arrested individuals include Mosammat Babli Begum, 43, a leader of Ward 6 Women’s Awami League, Sabina Yasmin Juthi, 38, general secretary of the ward unit, Mosammat Rita Akter, 40, organizational secretary, Nazma Akter Sathi, 30, vice-president; and Mosammat Khadija Begum, 34, assistant organizational secretary.
According to police, the attack occurred on August 4 at around 3:30pm near Popular-2 Diagnostic Center in Mirpur-10 during a demonstration demanding the government’s resignation.
Protester Md Abid was shot in the right eye during the attack allegedly carried out by members of various Awami League affiliate organizations using local weapons and firearms. Abid was later treated at the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital.
Abid’s brother, Jinnat Saeedi, subsequently filed a case with Pallabi police station. During the investigation, law enforcement identified the suspects involved in the attack using CCTV footage, intelligence reports, and technology.
The arrested leaders have been sent to court for further legal proceedings, DMP Deputy Commissioner Talebur Rahman said.