Habiganj July activist Mahadi taken into custody

Mahadi Hasan, member secretary of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement's Habiganj district unit, has been taken into police custody from a protest against load shedding. He was picked up from the field in front of the court mosque on Monday afternoon and taken to Sadar Model Police Station. Several of his supporters were also with him.

Police had gathered at the protest venue and initially requested Mahadi to accompany them. When he refused, police took him into custody, eyewitnesses said.

The Sadar Model Police Station OC was heard telling journalists that Mahadi was taken into custody "for his own security."

Mahadi had previously come under scrutiny for threatening police and making inflammatory remarks. In a viral video, he was heard saying, "We burnt down police stations, we burnt SI Shantosh." He had also allegedly threatened the OC and secured the release of a detained individual.

Mahadi was later arrested but released on bail within 24 hours. More recently, he was questioned at Dhaka airport on his return from India, where he had gone for a visa application.