TL;DR:
- Police detained 18 UP members during a meeting in a Cox’s Bazar resort, citing a ‘secret meeting’ charge.
- The gathering involved around 70 representatives discussing local governance and development.
- Officer Faizul Azim Noman stated the operation was based on information regarding Awami League affiliations among attendees.
- Many attendees condemned the police action, claiming it violated their rights to assemble and discuss public matters.
Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh — In an early morning operation on Saturday, November 9, 2024, police detained 18 Union Parishad (UP) members at a resort in Cox’s Bazar’s Hotel-Motel Zone. The arrests were made on the charge of holding a “secret meeting,” according to local authorities.
The gathering, which took place in a hall room on the fifth floor of the resort, was reportedly organized by the Cox’s Bazar branch of the Bangladesh Union Members Organisation. The meeting focused on discussing the “Role of Root-Level Public Representatives in State Reform, Democracy, and Local Development.” Approximately 70 representatives were attending when police, accompanied by activists from an anti-discrimination student movement, stormed the venue.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) Faizul Azim Noman of Cox’s Bazar Sadar Model Police Station confirmed the operation. He stated that the raid was conducted based on information that Awami League-backed UP members were allegedly holding a secret meeting. “The identities of the detainees are being verified. We are also checking whether any of them are facing existing charges,” OC Noman added.
One of the detained individuals, Zahir Ahmed, a UP member from Teknaf Sadar Union Parishad, denied any wrongdoing. “If it was secret, we wouldn’t meet inside a roadside hotel,” Ahmed said. “We’re being harassed.” Another attendee, Mohammad Salim from Moheshkhali, who was not among those detained, expressed his dismay over the arrests. “Representatives of all political affiliations were present. I strongly condemn the arrests of our colleagues,” he stated.
The incident has sparked concerns and raised questions about the nature of the meeting and the reasons behind the police action. While authorities continue to investigate and verify identities, no formal charges have been announced against those detained.
This event adds to growing tensions surrounding local governance and political activities in Bangladesh, where public representatives often face scrutiny over their roles in state reform and development initiatives.
Source: The Daily Star
