Tuku, Palak, BCL leader Saikat arrested in Dhaka

Former Deputy Speaker Shamsul Haque Tuku, former State Minister for Telecommunications and Information Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak, and the General Secretary of Dhaka University unit Chattra League Tanvir Hasan Saikat were arrested from the Nikunja residential area in Dhaka.

The arrests were made following a tip-off, confirmed Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Obaidur Rahman of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Media and Public Relations Division.

According to the DMP, the individuals had been hiding in the Nikunja area.

The trio has been shown arrested in connection with a case filed at Paltan Police Station.

This follows the arrest of former Law Minister Anisul Haque and Salman F. Rahman, former Private Industry and Investment Adviser to the Prime Minister on Tuesday evening.

They were arrested while allegedly attempting to flee via river from Dhaka’s Sadarghat area and have been charged in relation to the death of a hawker during a clash on 16 July in front of Dhaka College.

The arrests come in the wake of widespread anti-discrimination protests led by students and citizens, which forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign on 5 August. 

Following her resignation and rumours of her departure from the country, many Awami League leaders, former lawmakers, ministers, and senior government officials went into hiding, with several attempting, and failing, to leave the country. 

On 6 August, Palak was detained by the army at Shahjalal International Airport while allegedly trying to flee the country.