Hasnat Abdullah, the convener of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, has emphasized that no criminal should evade justice under Operation Devil Hunt. He stated that those responsible for turning Gazipur into a breeding ground for terrorism must be held accountable.
Speaking at a protest rally at Rajbari Field in Gazipur on Saturday (February 8) afternoon, Hasnat Abdullah criticized the ruling Awami League and its youth wing, Jubo League, accusing them of embezzling and laundering national wealth abroad. “They knew they wouldn’t stay in the country forever, which is why they smuggled $260 billion out of Bangladesh. But we have no escape; we must ensure the security and prosperity of our nation,” he said.
He welcomed the police’s commitment to taking action but warned against misuse of power. “Supporting the police does not mean allowing them to engage in false cases or arresting 15 people today only to release them on bail the next morning,” he asserted.
Additionally, Hasnat Abdullah labeled former Awami League leaders as perpetrators of mass violence and directly accused former Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque of crimes against humanity.
The protest follows a violent incident on Friday (February 7) night in the Dhirashram area of Gazipur, where student leaders from the movement were allegedly attacked by Awami League, Jubo League, and Chhatra League activists while investigating reports of an attack on Mozammel Haque’s ancestral home. At least 15 people were injured, five of whom were critically wounded and transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment.
In response, student leaders staged protests throughout the night and held another rally on Saturday afternoon, demanding the immediate arrest of the attackers.
