The six quota reform protest coordinators who were released say they did not want to give a statement calling off the movement while in police custody.
The six coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Students' Movement issued a joint statement on Friday morning saying that they had been held captive 'forcibly' for seven days in the name of 'safety'.
Urging the country's students and citizens to take to the streets ignoring the government's 'propaganda and oppression,' they vowed to continue the movement demanding justice for the slain students and other citizens and release of detained innocent people.
The joint statement was signed by coordinators Md Nahid Islam, Sarjis Alam, Hasnat Abdullah, Asif Mahmud, Nusrat Tabassum and Abu Baker Majumder.
"The coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Students' Movement have been abducted, arrested, tortured and harassed since July 19 mainly to disperse the movement and leadership. In continuation of this, six coordinators were forcibly
detained in DB custody for seven days in the name of 'security'. Although the Home Minister and the DB chief talked about security, we were kept in DB custody to isolate us from the movement," according to the statement.
"We wanted guarantee of our freedom of expression. But we were kept in DB custody unconstitutionally and illegally. At first, they talked about security, but later they mentioned the court. We can't leave without a court order," read the statement.
No one remains safe in the custody of those who kill unarmed students and citizens and the coordinators didn't want such 'false security' from the government. Rather, they wanted justice for their slain brothers and sisters, it said.
"We didn't voluntarily give the video statement circulated from the DB office on withdrawing the movement. No decision on Anti-Discrimination Students' Movement can come from the DB office. No decision will be taken as final without the participation of all coordinators and agitating students across the country," according to the statement.
"At the DB office, we were forced to sit at the dining table and were filmed. Assuring us that we would be released, our families were called and made to sit for 13 hours, and false statements were made to the media. When our teachers came to meet us, they were not allowed to meet," it reads.
Coordinators Nahid Islam, Asif Mahmud and Abu Baker started a hunger strike at the DB office on July 30, protesting the unjust arrests of coordinators, and arrest and torture of students across the country. Later, Sarjis Alam, Hasnat Abdullah and Nusrat Tabassum also started hunger strikes, it said.
Condemning the harassment to them and their families for the past seven days the coordinators said, "In the last seven days, various harassment, torture and drama have been staged with us and our families in the DB office."
"We were unjustly detained on the orders of the Home Minister. The government has put the law enforcers face to face with the students and citizens. The government is still continuing its repression of students and arresting and torturing demonstrating students across the country and obstructing peaceful programmes," it said.
On July 26, three coordinators Nahid Islam, Asif Mahmud and Abu Baker Majumder were picked up by DB from Dhaka's Ganashasthaya Nagar Hospital. Nahid and Asif had been undergoing treatment at the hospital.
On the following day, coordinators Sarjis and Hasnat Abdullah were forcibly taken to the DB office from Science Lab, said the statement.
In the early hours of July 28, Nusrat Tabassum was brought to the DB office from a relative's house.
"We sought safety from abduction, arrest, and torture. We wanted guarantees on our right to express our opinions. But we were detained in DB custody unconstitutionally and illegally. Though they talked about security at first, then they began talking about the court. That we could not be released until after the court decision."
The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement will continue to demand justice for the murders of students and citizens and the release of innocent people, the statement said.
It also called on the people of the country to ignore the government's false propaganda and repression and take to the streets. "The blood of the martyrs will not be shed in vain," it said.
Newly appointed DB chief Md Ashrafuzzaman said that the coordinators had said at the time that they had issued the statement willingly. "They gave the statement willingly. You can see it in the video. If someone there did something… then it is a matter of ethics."
Asked whether the coordinators were forced to eat in custody, the Additional Commissioner said during their time at the DB office they ate at different times. He said their new statements were not correct.
Additional Commissioner Harun Or Rashid, who was transferred from duty as DB chief, said the coordinators had given their statements voluntarily and there had been no offences against them. Their families made that same statement to the media afterwards, he added.
But protest coordinator Asif said the six coordinators of the movement are united in their new statement. "We coordinated this new statement," he said.
