During protests in Dhaka’s Shahbag intersection over the death of writer Mushtaq Ahmed in prison, the police responded by charging baton and firing tear gas shells on the protestors. Afterward, they detained seven student leaders involved in the protests. Besides, in Khulna, Bangladesh Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) leader Ruhul Amin has been arrested and placed in remand for posting on Facebook about Mushtaq Ahmed’s death. Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) expresses its grave condemnation over these incidents and demands the immediate release of Ruhul Amin and the seven student leaders.

According to various news reports, on 26 February, the police baton charged and fired tear gas shells on the protestors in Shahbagh. The blockade at the intersection had been organised by various leftist student bodies over the death of writer Mushtaq Ahmed—who had been arrested under the Digital Security Act—in prison. In this context, seven student leaders of the Chatra union and Samajtantrik Chhatra Front were arrested on the same night by the police. In Khulna, Ruhul Amin has been taken into remand after being arrested in a case filed against him under the Digital Security Act for posting on Facebook about the writer’s death.
ASK believes that the Digital Security Act is being increasingly used as a repressive weapon of the state and government to curb the freedom of expression of citizens. At the same time, the police’s use of excessive force, and subsequent harassment, against protestors is in direct contravention of citizens’ constitutional right to assembly. Curbing people’s rights to free speech and assembly cannot be the norm in a democracy.

It should also be mentioned that a team from ASK had visited Kashimpur jail to collect information about the circumstances of Mushtaq’s death on 27 February. The jail authorities, after making the team wait for a long time, informed them that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they could not meet them. ASK reiterates its demands for a fair and impartial investigation over Mushtaq Ahmed’s death in prison and for the immediate release of cartoonist Kabir Kishore who had been arrested in the same case.

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