Leaders and activists of Chhatra Dal (JCD), along with students, detained Arko Saha, former social welfare secretary of the banned Chhatra League’s Dhaka University (DU) unit, from Jagannath Hall and handed him over to Shahbagh Police Station.
He was detained from inside the hall around 5pm on Sunday.
According to eyewitnesses, Arko frequently visited the hall. On Sunday, JCD activists and students detained him while he was at the hall’s canteen. He was later handed over to police in the presence of the hall administration and members of the university’s proctorial team.
Confirming the matter, Jagannath Hall Provost Professor Debashish Pal said that no room allocations remain in the names of any Chhatra League leaders, as all such allocations had previously been cancelled.
“He (Arko Saha) was reportedly visiting the hall from time to time. He has been handed over to the police,” he said.
The provost added that the administration would investigate whether anyone else was staying in the hall unlawfully.
Speaking to the media, Dhruva Roy, a member of the Jagannath Hall Chhatra Dal convening committee, alleged that Arko had been secretly staying in the hall at night for a long time. He said they detained him after spotting him during the day.
Dhruva also alleged that Arko might have been involved in the recent crude bomb explosion in front of the hall.
Shahbagh Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Moniruzzaman said, “He is currently in police custody. We will take further action after discussing the matter with our senior officials.”
