6 Chhatra Dal leaders allegedly picked up by plainclothes law enforcement members

The BNP has alleged six leaders of its student wing, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, have been picked up by plainclothes individuals who identified themselves as the members of law enforcement agency.

Around 12:30am on Friday, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi issued a statement expressing concern about the incident.

No senior police officials, however, were willing to comment on the incident.

According to Rizvi, Mominul Islam Jisan, the senior joint secretary of Dhaka University Chhatra Dal, went missing after leaving his home in Azimpur at 11am on Friday. 

Rizvi further said, "Five other Chhatra Dal leaders were taken away by men in plainclothes when they went to Jisan's home looking for him."

The five leaders are Shahadat Hossain, the central Chhatra Dal deputy general secretary; Md Hasanur Rahman, vice president of Dhaka University Chhatra Dal; Abdullah Al Riyad, joint general secretary; Shariful Islam, joint general secretary of Dhaka University F Rahman Hall Chhatra Dal; and Zahir Uddin Mohammad Babar, former joint general secretary of Jahangirnagar University.

Rizvi expressed concern over the disappearance of these individuals, adding it is disconcerting that they have been missing for such an extended period.

"It has become customary for law enforcement members to deny detaining any leader or activist from the opposition parties. The act of denial after detaining individuals is utilised as a weapon by the illegitimate Awami government against the opposition party. The denial of detaining the six Chhatra Dal leaders is undoubtedly malicious and is intended to instill fear in the public."