Says Home Minister

TDS Desk:

The United Nations has sought information regarding the detention of teenagers in connection with the violence surrounding the recent quota reform movement in Bangladesh.

UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh, Gwyn Lewis, raised this issue during a meeting with Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal at the Secretariat on Wednesday.

Following the meeting, the home minister told reporters, “They (UN representatives) asked me when the situation would return to normalcy. We replied that it is gradually becoming normal. We believe we will be able to lift the curfew shortly, after which the army will return to their barracks.”

“They also wanted to know about one or two teenagers. A 17-and-a-half-year-old boy has been arrested who was involved in the killing of a police officer in Jatrabari. We identified him from videos and conversations. He was pulling the rope to hang the deceased police officer,” he added.

“We asked the UN representatives where we should take this teenager. According to the country’s existing law, we have placed him in a juvenile correction centre. He is being dealt with according to the law,” he said.

The minister further added, “We informed the UN representatives about those who lost their lives. Our prime minister has expressed sorrow for everyone and visited the injured. She has also provided some financial assistance to their families.”

The minister informed the UN Resident Coordinator that the police were compelled to open fire on the quota reform activists. “To control the situation, a curfew was imposed and the army was deployed.”

“It’s not just students who have died. Police, Ansar and RAB members, journalists, and people from various walks of life also lost their lives during the violence,” he said.

The minister noted that the UN Resident Coordinator did not make any comments after hearing his statements.

“They also asked why we used the UN vehicle to quell the protests. I explained that when it returned from the UN mission, the army might have hurriedly brought it out. When it became visible, the army immediately removed it. No operations were conducted with it,” the minister continued.

Regarding the UN’s interest in the investigation, he said, “They asked what we have done. I replied that we have formed a judicial inquiry committee. It has been expanded from one member to three members. There will be a police investigation as well, to determine why the police had to open fire. If anyone has made a mistake, we will look into that too.”