Police to go tough if road safety demo turns unruly

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia last night claimed a vested quarter infiltrated into students' road safety movement and police will take legal actions if the infiltrators create anarchy.

“We have to take legal actions as per the constitution and the existing law. But before doing so, we want everyone to play a responsible role… I would say it will depend on the situation and incidents,” he told The Daily Star.

The DMP chief claimed they have evidence that a vested quarter infiltrated into the students' movement. “If things go in a disciplined way, the question of taking legal actions would not arise at all,” he added.

“What the students have been doing was supposed to be done by us, but we could not do that. It is our failure,” Asaduzzaman said, adding that the jolt they gave the law enforcers was necessary.

“But everything should revolve around discipline, a system. If things go on like this for a long time, it would become like the Gonojagoron Mancha…. Initially, everyone was with the movement, but later it deviated and different types of people infiltrated into it and started misusing the movement.”

He said the students should go back to school now and give time to the government to implement their demands. “If the government fails, they can take to the streets again.”

Asaduzzaman made the remarks a day after top police officials held a meeting at the Police Headquarters (PHQ), with Inspector General of Police Mohammad Javed Patwary in the chair. The meeting discussed the ongoing student movement and the strategy to control the situation. Directives have been given to the field level police officials in this regard, said meeting sources.

Police have been asked to take along with them leaders of the ruling Awami League and Chhatra League, pro-AL student front, to identify non-students in the movement and control the demonstrations.

Police suggested slowing down of the mobile phone internet speed to make sure that news about the movement cannot be spread promptly by using the mobile phone networks.  

Following the death of two college students in a road crash in the capital's Kurmitola area on Sunday, students took to the streets demanding safe roads.     

Asked about Thursday's meeting at the PHQ, Asaduzzaman said they discussed the protest positively as the police do not consider students their opponents as they don't have any bad motive.

He said students checked documents of vehicles in different city areas yesterday and there was no problem.

“I am not only an individual, but also the police commissioner of Dhaka. The constitution, CrPC and laws have put the responsibility on me to ensure safety of the city residents and their properties.”

He warned that police would not sit ideal if anyone tries to torch a vehicle, attack an office or disrupt security at the diplomatic enclave.