Former DUCSU VP and Gano Adhikar Parishad President Nurul Haque Nur has skillfully orchestrated the recent quota reform protests from behind the scenes, police officials said.
They also claimed that Nur raised a significant amount of funds from supporters in the Middle East through hundi transactions.
He reportedly provided information confirming these activities during his interrogation by the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).
Nur has been arrested for allegedly inciting the protests.
Several senior DB officers said that Nur had prior experience with the 2018 quota reform movement, during which he successfully mobilised general students. He later formed a political party.
This time, he maintained contact with the coordinators behind the scenes during the quota reform movement.
Of the funds collected, he distributed an amount, around Tk65 lakh, to leaders of the Gono Odhikar Parishad in three regions of Dhaka: Badda, Mirpur, and Lalbagh. This was to provide various supplies to the protesters for the quota reform movement.
On 18 July, in connection with the arson and vandalism at Setu Bhaban in the capital, a court ordered Nurul Haque Nur to be sent to jail after a five-day remand. Nur's family alleged in court that he was subjected to inhumane torture in police custody.
In the case of the violence, the court granted another five-day remand for Nurul Haque Nur when police presented him before the court on Sunday. Nurul Haque Nur was arrested by the DB police from a house in the Badda area of the capital during the quota reform movement.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Additional Commissioner (DB) Mohammad Harun-or-Rashid told a national daily on Sunday, "We have received information that Nur conducted financial transactions at different places during the quota reform movement. We will bring those involved in this matter under the law."
An officer from DMP, who is connected to Nur's case, said that a large amount of money received from Middle Eastern countries was kept by Nur, with a significant portion amounting to Tk65 lakh distributed to different locations. This money was used to supply water, biryani, and shoes to the protestors. Additionally, people were hired from different parts of the capital city with this money to engage in violence with law enforcers.
Relevant sources said that Nur was involved in this quota movement from the very beginning. He held meetings every night with the quota coordinators at a house in Dhaka’s Rampura. However, Nur did not communicate with Nahid and Sarjis Alam, two of the key coordinators of the quota movement, through his mobile phone. However, he spoke with other coordinators over the phone.
Sources said he managed the coordinators from behind the scenes to ensure the quota movement remained solely a student-led initiative.
During interrogation, Nur said that he did not contact Nahid by phone to evade the law enforcers' attention. He also revealed that programmes of the quota reform movement were organised in consultation with him. Nur also claimed that their plan to attract attention by not organising programmes like political parties but rather in a different manner was successful.
Sources revealed that Nur initially advised the coordinators of the quota reform movement not to involve any political party. He assured them that when the movement reached the brink of success, his party, along with other opposition parties, would be included. He took this responsibility upon himself.
As part of this, Nur held a meeting at the Uttara residence of a senior opposition leader on the night of 13 July. A former MP from Lakshmipur district, who had been arrested in recent violence, was also present at the meeting.
Meanwhile, the authorities concerned have started field-level investigations into the arson and vandalism cases related to metro rail. In their preliminary investigation, they found evidence of collusion by a vested interest group in the metro rail violence. If necessary, the investigators will also question the group.
Source: Daily Sun
BDST: 1432 HRS, JULY 29, 2024
