Chhatra Dal leader Aman arrested over policeman's killing during BNP rally

Police say that Aman Ullah played a leading role in the violence that resulted in the death of police officer Amirul Haque Parvez on Oct 28

Police have arrested Aman Ullah Aman, a top leader of the BNP's student wing Chhatra Dal, for allegedly orchestrating the violence that resulted in the death of police officer Amirul Haque Parvez during the opposition group's anti-government rally on Oct 28.

Aman was taken into custody from the capital's Mohakhali bus stand area on Monday, according to Md Asaduzzaman, chief of the police's Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit.

"Aman was present at the scene and led the brutal assault on the police during the BNP's mass rally on Oct 28," he said at a media briefing on Tuesday.

In a bid to press for the government's resignation and elections under a non-partisan caretaker government, the BNP had organised a rally at Dhaka's Naya Paltan on Oct 28.

But the programme descended into chaos as party loyalists clashed with law enforcement in Kakrail, and the violence soon spead to other parts. Constable Parvez was killed during the clashes.

Later, Sub-Inspector Masuk Miah of the police's Detective Branch started a case against 164 people, including BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, at Paltan Police Station. Subsequently, the police arrested several BNP leaders and activists, who were later remanded in their custody for questioning.

Aman serves as the joint general secretary of the Chhatra Dal's central committee, and previously held the position of member secretary of the Dhaka University Chhatra Dal.

Asaduzzaman revealed that Aman provided a detailed account of the incident during preliminary interrogation.

"Aman said that on the day of the rally, he and his associates positioned themselves next to the stage in Naya Paltan under the instructions of central Chhatra Dal leaders. The leaders of the BNP and Chhatra Dal on the stage allegedly directed them to undermine police morale through aggressive attacks."

"Their objective was to create instability in the country, even if it meant taking the lives of one or more policemen."

According to the CTTC chief, the deadly clashes erupted when BNP supporters at the rally initiated an attack on the police in Kakrail.