Former Chhatra League leader arrested trying to collect nomination papers in Gopalganj

Police say the former leader of the now banned student organisation was involved in politics at DU

A former leader of the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League has been arrested while collecting nomination papers to contest the upcoming parliamentary election as an independent candidate from the Gopalganj-3 constituency.

Kotalipara Police chief Riyad Mahamud confirmed the arrest of the former BCL leader Tapas Halder, 35, on Tuesday afternoon.

Tapas was involved in BCL politics while studying at Dhaka University.

Haridas Majumder accompanied Tapas, along with four to six others, to the Kotalipara Upazila administrator’s office to collect nomination papers.

“We met BNP Kotalipara unit’s general secretary Abul Bashar Howlader at the office. Police arrived to arrest Tapas after he left,” said Haridas.

“Tapas has not been involved in politics over the last 17 years,” he said, adding that Tapas has not been accused in any case either.

Riyad said Tapas was arrested at Pashchimpar as a suspect in a case related to acts of violence. He added that a court later sent Tapas to jail.

Tapas was shown arrested in connection with a case filed over an incident on Jul 16, when activists of the Awami League and its affiliated organisations blocked the Paisarhat-Gopalganj highway at Wapdar Hat to prevent the National Citizen Party’s “Gopalganj Roadmarch.”

Sub Inspector Uttam Kumar Sen filed the case, accusing 155 named and 1,500 other unidentified people.