Student protest leaders Nahid Islam, Asif Mahmud, and Abu Baker Majumder, who played key roles in organizing recent rallies in Bangladesh, were forcibly removed from a hospital in Dhaka by plainclothes police officers, according to reports from Gonoshasthaya Hospital staff.
The three men were being treated for injuries they claimed were a result of torture and beatings while in police custody. Despite objections from hospital staff, the officers pressured the hospital to discharge them.
Nahid Islam, one of the detained men, had previously accused police of kidnapping him, interrogating him, and subjecting him to physical and mental torture. He sought medical treatment for blood clots on his shoulders and leg.
The incident has sparked outrage and calls for justice from student groups and activists. The protests in Bangladesh began over civil service hiring rules and the demand to scrap quotas for government jobs reserved for relatives of those who fought in the country’s war for independence.
The government has since rolled back most of these quotas, meeting a key demand of the protesters. However, clashes between police and students have turned deadly, with at least 150 people killed.
Despite the government’s efforts to quell the unrest, student leaders are vowing to continue protesting until justice is served for those killed and detained. They are also calling for the resignation of government ministers and an apology from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The situation in Bangladesh remains tense as the government faces mounting pressure to address the grievances of the protesters and ensure the safety and rights of its citizens.
