A senior police officer, accused in the murder of Abu Saeed, a key activist in the Quota Reform Movement, was arrested in India on Saturday.
Md. Arifuzzaman, former Assistant Commissioner of Rangpur Metropolitan Police, was arrested while attempting to cross the border illegally into India through an unsecured area of the Swarapnagar region in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district.
The Border Security Force (BSF) detained Arifuzzaman at the Hakkimpur Border Post while he attempted to cross. After his arrest, Arifuzzaman was transferred to the local police in Swarapnagar.
Upon examining several identification documents and government papers, the Indian authorities confirmed his identity as a member of Bangladesh’s law enforcement, specifically from Nilphamari district’s Shapira area.
The news of his arrest caused a great deal of confusion, with both the BSF and local police maintaining strict confidentiality about his identity and personal details. The West Bengal police confirmed that arresting a Bangladeshi police officer for illegal border crossing was an unusual event in recent times.
Arifuzzaman has been charged under Section 14(A) of the Foreigners Act and Section 12 of the Indian Passport Act for his unauthorized entry into India. On Sunday, he was produced before the Basirhat District Court, where the judge ordered 14 days of judicial custody.
The arrest of Arifuzzaman is linked to the fatal shooting of Abu Saeed on July 16, 2024, when police opened fire on student protesters in Rangpur. Saeed, an active participant in the Quota Reform Movement, was shot by police during a clash with students near Begum Rokeya University. Despite efforts by other students to rush him to the hospital, Saeed succumbed to his injuries after being hit by several bullets.
Arifuzzaman had been stationed in the area where Saeed was killed and reportedly went into hiding in Satkhira, Bangladesh, fearing for his life after the political upheaval that followed the mass uprising against the government in August 2024. Sources suggest he was later suspended from his duties due to prolonged absence from his post.