July uprising: Students lock KMP gate over freeing accused SI

Students and locals locked the main gate of the Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP) headquarters for hours yesterday, protesting the release of Sub-Inspector Sukanta Das from police custody.

According to the protesters, locals caught SI Sukanta on Tuesday and handed him over to police "for brutally assaulting students and civilians during the July uprising in Khulna".

The protesters claimed that he was released the same night without being arrested even though he is accused in several cases.

The protest called by the Students Against Discrimination began around 2:00pm. The demonstrators blocked the road and burnt tyres in front of the KMP headquarters, cutting off the Rupsha area from the city.

They also called for the resignation of the KMP commissioner.

Kabir Hossain, officer-in-charge of Khanjahan Ali Police Station, said, "After hearing that SI Sukanta was being assaulted by locals [on Tuesday], we rushed to the scene. The situation was very tense. We managed to intervene and took him into our custody."

He added that Sukanta was later admitted to Khulna Medical College Hospital for treatment. Later, he was released from the hospital.

Suknata stands accused in several criminal cases, said the KMP sources.

On December 12 last year, a case was filed with Khulna Sadar Police Station over an attack on students and civilians, which is under investigation by the Detective Branch of police, they said.

Around 8:30pm, the protest was suspended until this afternoon, considering HSC exams.

However, the main gate of the KMP Headquarters remained locked, but vehicular movement on the road became normal.