Ex-CPB Sylhet leader arrested at midnight

Police have arrested Advocate Anwar Hossain Sumon, former general secretary of the Sylhet district unit of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) from Sylhet.

He was arrested on Friday midnight (October 31) from Akhalia Kalibari area in Sylhet, Md. Saiful Islam, deputy commissioner (Media) of Sylhet Metropolitan Police (SMP), confirmed.

Former CPB Sylhet president and senior lawyer Bedananda Bhattacharya said, “Police suddenly detained Sumon and took him to their custody at midnight without informing his family.”

Sumon recently led protests against the ban on battery-operated auto-rickshaws, heading a demonstration in the city on Tuesday demanding 11 points. During the protest, he and other leaders met the Metropolitan Police Commissioner and suspended the movement until Sunday to seek resolution.

Police Commissioner Abdul Quddus Chowdhury previously alleged the movement was an attempt to destabilise the country and suspended Saturday and Sunday programmes to avoid conflict.

Since late September, SMP has conducted operations to halt battery-operated auto-rickshaw movement in the city, seizing rickshaws and cutting electricity at charging points.

The ban remains in effect.