19 UP members arrested for 'secret meeting' in residential hotel

The police have arrested 19 'pro-Awami League' Union Parishad (UP) members from a residential hotel in Cox's Bazar on charges of taking part in a ‘secret meeting’.

They were detained from the fifth floor of the Uni Resort in the hotel-motel zone on Kalatali road in Cox’ on Friday (November 8) midnight.

The detainees took part in a views exchange meeting, titled “State reform, establishment of democracy and local development of grassroots people's representatives”, organised under the banner of Bangladesh Union Member Organisation of Cox's Bazar on the topic of.

Faizul Azim Noman, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Cox's Bazar Sadar Model Police Station, said, “The operation was conducted based on information that pro-Awami League UP members were holding a secret meeting at Uni Resort. There were many UP members there. Those who have cases against them have been arrested and those without cases have been released.”

Teknaf Sadar Union Parishad member Zahir Ahmed is among those detained. He told the media, “There was a meeting with UP members of the district. There was a discussion about how to work in the transitional period of the country. Suddenly the police and coordinators of the recent anti-discrimination student movement came in and arrested us by abusing us in vulgar language.”

Salim, a UP member of Maheshkhali area, who was released from the police, said, “People from all political parties were present in the meeting. If we had a secret meeting, it would not have been organised at a roadside hotel. We are being harassed. But this is how our brothers have been arrested, I strongly condemn it.”