Staff Reporter :
Six people, including a Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal leader, have been arrested in connection with the killing of two police officers in Dhaka during the quota reform movement.
At a press briefing held at the DMP Media Centre on Friday, Additional Commissioner Harunor Rashid, Chief of the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), announced the arrests.
A team from the DB’s Cyber and Special Crime (South) unit apprehended six individuals, including Demra Chhatra Dal Convener Masud Rana, from different parts of the capital on Thursday.
The other arrestees are Irfan, Abu Bakar, Rabiul Islam, Sourav Mia, and Tarek.
According to the police, the murder plot was orchestrated under the leadership of Chhatra Dal leader Masud Rana, with each participant having specific responsibilities.
They were arrested based on precise evidence after analyzing video footage.
Harunor Rashid detailed the events, saying, “On July 19, under Masud Rana’s leadership, a group of 25-30 people, including Irfan, Abu Bakkar, Rabiul Islam, Sourav Mia, and Tarek, gathered at Rayerbagh in Jatrabari for the quota reform movement.
They engaged in arson, spread rumors via mosque microphones, attacked the police station, and murdered police officers.”
He continued, “Around 11:30 p.m., they chased a motorcyclist who fell by the roadside.
Upon finding police uniforms and ID cards in his bag, they beat the officer to death with sticks, celebrated over his body, and set fire to his motorcycle. Central Jubo Dal member Tarek funded and instructed these acts.”
The DB official further explained that a similar incident occurred the next morning.
A plainclothes police officer was beaten to death upon being recognized, and his motorcycle was set ablaze.
The two deceased officers were Mohammad Muqtadir, 50, and Naik Gias Uddin, 58.
Harunor Rashid emphasized that the perpetrators not only killed police officers but also searched homes for police personnel.
“Now, we are also searching the homes of Jamaat, Shibir, and BNP activists. Wherever we find them, we will arrest them,” he said.
He also remarked, “Jamaat and BNP cadres brutally killed our two police officers. During the quota reform movement, using innocent students as shields, we saw attacks on state installations and the targeting of police officers.
They targeted police officers in Jatrabari, Shonir Akhra, and Rayerbagh areas. They even announced a reward of Tk10,000 for killing a police officer.”
Despite the loss of three police officers during the quota movement, Harunor Rashid asserted that police morale remains unbroken.
He assured that legal action is being taken against those responsible for killing police officers, ordinary citizens, and those who committed sabotage on government installations, including the metro rail.
“They will not be spared, no matter where they are,” he added.
Meanwhile, at least 2,357 individuals, including top BNP-Jamaat leaders, have been arrested in Dhaka alone in relation to 209 cases.
KN Roy Niyati, additional deputy commissioner (ADC) of the Media and Public Relations Department of the DMP, confirmed this on Friday.
Additionally, the elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested 266 people across the country for their alleged involvement in sabotage related to the quota reform movement.
ANM Imran Khan, Assistant Director (ASP) of the Legal and Media Wing of RAB, confirmed the arrests, noting that 63 of the arrestees were detained in the capital city.