Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Sunday said quota reform coordinators will be released after confirming their safety and security.
Speaking to journalists at his office in the Secretariat, the Home Minister explained the situation regarding the detention of the student leaders.
When asked regarding six coordinators of the anti-quota movement Sarjis Alam, Hasnat Abdullah, Nahid Islam, Asif Mahmud, Abu Baker and Nusrat Tabassum were taken into custody by Detective Branch (DB) of police, Kamal said they told social media that they were at risk. "So they have been brought for their safety, not arrested."
Five coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement have been taken into police custody. When asked when they would be released to their families, the Home Minister said, "Look, they themselves said they were at risk. One of them told his father that he was in hiding for a special reason. They expressed their concerns about being in danger, so we took them into custody for their safety," he said.
He further elaborated, "We are questioning them about which political parties or individuals may have incited them, leading to the violent turn of the movement. They are providing us with answers."
The Home Minister emphasized, "We have not arrested them. They are in our custody. We are assessing their situation, and if we determine that they are no longer at risk, we will release them. If the police believe they are safe, they will be allowed to go immediately. We have not formally arrested them."
