Police have detained a suspect in connection with the attack on a vehicle carrying leaders of the Central Committee of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement in Sonargaon, Narayanganj.
The detention was made in the Asharia Char area along the Dhaka-Chittagong highway on Monday morning.
The attack occurred around 2am on Sunday near the Meghna Toll Plaza along the Dhaka-Chittagong highway. As of Monday afternoon, no case had been filed in connection with the incident.
Sonargaon police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Abdul Bari confirmed the detention of a registered robber from the area.
He told Prothom Alo that the individual is currently being interrogated. The suspect's identity has not been disclosed for the sake of the ongoing investigation.
According to OC Abdul Bari, preliminary findings suggest that the attack was not politically motivated.
“This does not appear to be a political attack,” the OC said. “Our investigation indicates the area has been a hotspot for hijackers for years. Despite regular patrols, the attack occurred during our routine surveillance. Our team reached the scene within three to four minutes, but the attackers managed to flee.”
The student leaders involved reported that their money and valuables, including mobile phones, were stolen.
However, two phone numbers provided by the victims as belonging to the stolen devices were found to be inactive, the OC added.
The leaders of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement were en route to Lama in Bandarban for organizational activities when their car was attacked.
The vehicle carried several individuals, including Arif Sohel, member secretary of the Central Executive Committee; members Rupaya Shrestha Tanchangya, Mahmuda Sultana, Rakib Mohammad, Muinul Islam, and Ibrahim Nirav; as well as Dhaka University student Yasmin Mitu and student leader Mishu Ali.
Authorities are continuing their investigation to uncover the full details of the incident and apprehend those responsible.