Police have arrested 12 leaders and activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League and Jubo League in Cumilla city for participating in a 40-second flash procession.
Members of the Cumilla Detective Branch (DB) and police personnel from Cumilla Kotwali Police Station conducted drives in different areas of the city and arrested them, said Cumilla Kotwali Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mahinul Islam.
"We reached the spot immediately after receiving the news but did not find anyone there. Later, we conducted drives and arrested the accused," said the OC.
The arrestees were identified as Akram Hossain Rocky, 28; Md Sagar, 24; Md Mohiuddin Sumon, 32; Mohammad Russel Hossain, 30; Md Faisal, 28; Maksudur Rahman alias Bablu, 31; Amin Khan Nahid, 30; Tuhin Alam, 28; Kazi Shamsul Alam, 52; Mohammad Mobarak Hossain Rubel, 35; Abdullah Al Hadi, 36; and Golam Kibria Chowdhury, 27. All are residents of different areas of Cumilla city.
They were later sent to jail through a Cumilla court today (31 October), police said.
According to police, the arrested Chhatra League and Jubo League activists, who were absconding in connection with a discrimination-related case, secretly gathered at the Eidgah ground CNG auto-rickshaw stand alley and in front of a park in the city on the morning of 30 October.
They came in two CNG-run auto-rickshaws, raised slogans of "Joy Bangla," and held a flash procession that lasted 30 to 40 seconds, said police.
They later uploaded a video of the procession online before fleeing the area in auto-rickshaws.