A section of eminent citizen this morning gave the authorities 24 hours' time for unconditional release of the organisers of the quota reform movement currently in custody of the detective branch (DB) of police "for their security".

Transparency International Bangladesh Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman, while speaking at press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity, said if the coordinators of the quota reform movement were not released unconditionally in the next 24 hours, they will hold programmes like human chains.

"We will also announce tougher programmes if our demand is not met," he said from the press conference arranged by "The Agitating Citizens Forum".

The citizens also put forward an 11-point demand including highest punishment for culprits involved in the killing, regardless of what position they hold and irrespective of their political identity.

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From ‘DB office’, 6 organisers lift protest programme

Proper and transparent probes and accurate trial should be held against the members of police, Rab, Ansar, BGB, activists of Chhatra League, Jubo League, who fired shots during the quota reform protests.

Chief Executive of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Dhaka University Mass Communication and Journalism Department Professor Giti Ara Nasreen, Dhaka University Law Department Professor Asif Nazrul, Sociology Department Professor Samina Luthfa, Jahangirnagar University Anthropology Department Mirza Taslima Sultana, and ALRD Executive Director Shamsul Haque spoke at the press conference.

They also demanded an independent, acceptable and credible probe under high-positioned specialists of the UN into every killing, and law enforcers' use of weapons and application of force.

All arrested students should be freed immediately, all drives to arrest students should be ended and all educational institutions reopened.