Shawdesh desk:

Gansanghati Andolan Narayanganj coordiantor Toriqul Islam Sujon was assaulted by police on the city’s Shaheed Minar premises on Tuesday night and he was taken to the Sadar police station.

Later, he was released from Narayanganj Sadar police station on early Wednesday after he was forced to sign a bond, Toriqul alleged.

Cellphones of two journalists were also snatched away by police while they were taking pictures of the incident.

Toriqul said that Narayanganj Sangskritik Jote organised a programme at the Shaheed Minar premises on Tuesday evening marking International Mother Language Day and Shaheed Dibash with slogan — ‘The call of Ekush, departure of repressive regime’.

Police objected the slogan and asked them to remove a banner. Later, the organisers had to cover the slogan with a piece of cloth.

Toriqul said that at about 10:30pm some policemen started charging baton on the participants and ousting them from the Shaheed Minar premises.

‘I was at the spot. Few policemen instructed me to leave the area. As I protested, the police men started assaulting me. They pushed me out of the premises,’ said Toriqul.

During the argument, policemen forcefully picked up Toriqul in a police van.

‘Few local journalists were taking pictures of the incident. The policemen snatched away cellphones from two journalists and threatened them of Digital Security Act,’ Toriqul said.

The Gansanghati Andolan leader was taken into Sadar police station officer-in-charge’s room.

‘Police interrogated me over the incident and harassed me there by bringing up false allegations that I have been involved in extortion from hawkers there and running pickpocketing, mugging rackets,’ Toriqul said.

‘Later, at about 1:30am, police released me after signing a bond that stated that I was leaving the police station in sound and healthy condition.’

Contacted, Sadar police station OC Anisur Rahman said that there were some misunderstanding and everything were resolved later.

He claimed that Toriqul was not forced into police station, rather he came to the police station on his own to discuss the incident.