“If the students are guilty then produce them before a court,” they made the demand at a press briefing held at Crime Reporters’ Association of Bangladesh (CRAB) in the city’s Sergun Bagicha area on Sunday.
A total of 12 students were reportedly picked up by policemen from three messes in the two city neighbourhoods during a drive, the relatives of the students told journalists.
“We want the safety of our children and we are very anxious about their whereabouts,” they told journalists.
The group of parents and guardians also urged all human rights organisations both at the home and abroad, including National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), to raise their voice so that their children can get legal support.
According to the statement of the guardians, the 12 detained students are university admission seekers Al Amin and Jahirul Islam Hasib, 2nd year student of Bangladesh Textile University Mujahidul Islam, 4th year student of Government Titumir College Jahangir Alam, Tangail Government Sadat College Honours-appeared student Saifullah Bin Mansur, Mirpur SAIK Medical Institute student Gazi M Burhan Uddin and Dhaka Polytechnic Institute students--Tarek Aziz, Mahfuz, Raihanul Abedin, Iftekhar Alam, Mehedi Hasan Rajib and another Tarek Aziz.
Briefing reporters, Mansur Rahman, the father of Saifullah Bin Mansur, said his son came to Dhaka to attend a training programme as he got a job in a private company.
“He stayed at mess of his younger brother Sifat who is a student of Dhaka Polytechnic Institute,” he said.
Detective Branch of police detained both the brothers, but Sifat was released from the DB office, later.
Sifat’s father quoting his son said that police physically assaulted him suspecting him an activist of either quota movement or safe road movement, waged by the students.
“Other detained students were also being tortured even more,” Mansur added.
Enamul Hoque, the father of another victim Jahirul Islam Hasib, said Hasib was staying in Feni during road safety movement. “He came to Dhaka on September 5 and detectives detained him on the same night.”
Among others, Rashed Alam, elder brother of Iftekhar Alam, Rafiqueuddin, the father of Raihanul Abedin, were also present at the press conference.
Contacted for comment, Additional Commissioner (DB) Abdul Baten did not receive the phone call.