Staff Reporter:
The Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit has arrested an expelled leader of the Chhatra League on charges of detonating crude bombs (“cocktails”) to spread panic before holding flash processions in various parts of the capital.
The arrestee has been identified as Dostogir Islam (23), former general secretary of the Natore NS Government College unit of the Chhatra League, which has since been banned. The CTTC has also arrested Md Zahid Sarkar (55), a member of a now-prohibited Awami League central subcommittee.
The information was disclosed in a press release issued by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Media and Public Relations Division on Sunday.
According to the press release quoting CTTC sources, Dostogir Islam Sajib was arrested around 12 noon today based on secret information. After the fall of the Awami League government, he reportedly went into hiding in Dhaka after leaving Natore and
became involved in flash processions across the capital aimed at spreading panic.
It added that he collected materials to make crude bombs himself and detonated them in different areas of Dhaka before participating in processions to incite fear among the public. A CTTC investigation against him had been ongoing.
The statement further said that on October 16, Dostogir took part in a flash procession in front of Police Plaza near Hatirjheel, where he detonated a crude bomb and shared the demonstration live on Facebook. CTTC sources said that five cases, including one for murder, are pending against him at Natore Sadar Police Station.
Meanwhile, around 2:30 p.m. today, the CTTC arrested Md Zahid Sarkar, the Awami League central subcommittee member, from the Mirpur-11 Metro Rail Station area, according to the same release. It added that three criminal cases are registered against him in different police stations across the country.
