Job quota reform protest leader Faruk arrested in Dhaka

Police arrested Faruk Hasan, a leader of protesters seeking reform to quota system in government jobs, over a case in connection with violence during agitations.

The police sent him to court on Tuesday after his family alleged that he had gone missing.

Faruk is a joint-convenor of the Bangladesh Council to Protect General Students' Rights, which is organising the demonstrations for quota reforms.

He is a student of the Dhaka University’s disaster management department and hails from Thakurgaon district.

He was shown arrested in a case over his alleged links to unlawful demonstration and obstruction to police duty on Apr 9.

Rashed Khan, another joint-convenor of the council, was arrested in the capital’s Bhashantek on Sunday in a case filed under the ICT Act for allegedly making snide remarks about Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the social media.

On Monday, a group of Bangladesh Chhatra League leaders and activists attacked the quota protesters, including Faruk, who gathered in front of the Central Shaheed Minar for a demonstration.

Al-Amin Rahman, general secretary of BCL’s Bangabandhu Hall unit, took injured Faruk to Shahbagh Police Station by a motorcycle.

Rahman claimed he carried away Faruk to save him from the wrath of agitated students.

Since then, Faruk had remained missing, according to his elder brother Ariful Islam.

He told bdnews24.com that they had not been able to find his brother at several police stations and Detective Branch office in the capital.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Maruf Hossain Sarder confirmed to bdnews24.com later on Tuesday that the DB had sent Faruk to the court.

No comment was available from the detective police.

General Recording Officer SI Mahmudur Rahman of the relavant court told bdnews24.com Metropolitan Magistrate Subrata Ghosh ordered the police to send Faruk and two other people – Tariqul Islam and ‘Jasim’ – to jail in the case. 

DB Inspector Bahauddin Farooqi, who is investigating the case, said in the dossier that Faruk, Tariqul and Jasim were injured in an attack by students agitated by the protests on Saturday.

The protesters clashed with the police and BCL activists on the Dhaka University campus overnight on Apr 8.

The vice-chancellor’s resident also came under attack. Furniture and vehicles were torched there.

Five cases were filed over the violence during the protests.

Faruk, Tariqul and Jasim have been shown arrested in one of these cases.