TL;DR:
- Bangladesh Chhatra League officially banned; IGP warns of immediate arrests for any rallies or processions.
- 21 police personnel arrested nationwide for offenses during July movement; IGP promises thorough investigation and justice.
- IGP announces ongoing efforts to recover illegal weapons and reform the police force to remove bad influences.
- Police chief urges public not to view police as opponents, calls for politicians to stop using police as shields.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Md Moinul Islam declared today that Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of the now-defunct Awami League party, is officially banned following a government gazette notification. The IGP warned that any attempts by Chhatra League to hold rallies or processions will result in immediate arrests.
“Chhatra League will no more be able to hold meetings or bring out processions. They will not be allowed to do so,” the police chief stated during a rally commemorating the 6th anniversary of Rangpur Metropolitan Police. The event, dedicated to the martyrs and injured heroes of the anti-discrimination student-mass uprising, took place at the Rangpur District Police Lines School and College grounds.
Prior to the rally, IGP Islam visited the home of Abu Saeed, the first martyr of the anti-discrimination student movement and a student of Begum Rokeya University. After paying respects at Saeed’s grave, the IGP assured his parents and relatives that police personnel involved in the student-mass movement would face justice, emphasizing that temporary dismissals or transfers would not suffice.
The IGP revealed that 21 police personnel have been arrested across the country for various offenses, including firing on students and the public during the July movement. He assured that the police force is working to identify all officers involved, promising that no offender will be spared and everyone will be brought to justice, including both the main perpetrators and their accomplices.
Urging the public not to view the police as opponents, IGP Islam expressed the police’s desire to be friends with the people. “If you consider the police as opponents, there will be a big gap between the police and the public,” he cautioned, emphasizing the force’s utmost efforts to restore trust. He also acknowledged that the actions of a few police members should not erode public confidence in the entire force.
The IGP noted that in recent times, illegal weapons were handed over to those who were not even authorized to possess legal firearms. He assured that efforts are underway to recover these weapons, expressing hope that they will be surrendered to the government very soon.
Highlighting the need for reform, the IGP pointed out that members of terrorist organizations like Chhatra League, who created anarchic situations in universities and colleges through attacks, murders, extortion, tender manipulation, and seat occupation in halls, later entered the police force through BCS and other means, making the force controversial. He pledged to swiftly reform the bad culture introduced by inducting members of such terrorist organizations into the police.
Appealing to politicians, the IGP urged them to refrain from using the police as a shield, a practice that has been prevalent in the past. He also criticized Chhatra League members within the police force for using politics as a shield, emphasizing the need to stop this practice. He called upon police personnel wishing to engage in politics to resign from the police service and join politics.
The IGP assured that all cases filed in connection with the killing of students like Abu Saeed in various districts, as well as those who were crippled during the movement, are being investigated by the police. He promised that those accused will be investigated and brought to justice, with the specialized Police Bureau of Investigation working on the cases.
The rally was attended by senior police officials, including Rangpur Range DIG Aminul Islam, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Majid Ali, and Rangpur Police Super Mohammad Sharif Uddin.
