Over 50 detained including journalist leader Abu Zafar Surya from JSD office

Police have detained over fifty people during a raid on the main office of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) at Gulistan in the capital. The operation was conducted on Saturday (September 26) at noon.

Among those detained is Abu Zafar Surya, former president of one faction of the Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ). He was detained around 2:30 pm and taken to Paltan Police Station in a police van.

The DMP is verifying the identities and political affiliations of the detained individuals to confirm whether they are activists of the banned Awami League.

Earlier that day, around 12 noon, leaders and activists of the banned Awami League brought out a flash procession in Dhanmondi, the capital. Several hand made bombs exploded  during the procession.

Later, police conducted operations and detained three people from Dhanmondi and one from Mohammadpur with hand bombs.

Police claim that many who participated in the Dhanmondi procession later took shelter at the JSD office in Gulistan. Upon learning of this, Robiul Islam Nayan, joint general secretary of the central executive committee of Juba Dal, and leaders and activists of Paltan Thana Juba Dal surrounded the JSD office. Later, police arrived at the scene and encompassed the office.

Eyewitnesses said that around 4 pm, many people were seen being brought out of the JSD office one by one in handcuffs.

Police members present at the scene said the detained individuals were being taken to Paltan Police Station. After verification there, further action will follow.

Meanwhile, Abu Zafar Surya posted a picture of himself in handcuffs on his Facebook account and wrote, "Today, while performing professional duties at the JSD representative meeting, police are taking me and many others away in handcuffs. I do not know where they are taking us. I am at Paltan Police Station."

In this regard, OC Md. Ariful Alam of Paltan Model Police Station said, "Some suspicious individuals have been brought to the station. They are being interrogated. However, so far they have not been detained or arrested. Verification is ongoing regarding the matter."

Meanwhile, JSD has said that an attack was carried out on the party's office. According to JSD sources, the party's central representative meeting began at 10:40 am on Saturday at the Shaheed Colonel Taher Auditorium at the JSD office in Gulistan. Designated representatives from various districts, metropolitan areas, and upazila branches across the country participated.

Sazzad Hossain, office secretary of JSD, told Agamir Somoy, "While the representative meeting was underway, leaders and activists of BNP's affiliated organizations carried out an unprovoked attack on us. Many JSD leaders and activists were injured. After the attack, police detained many from the venue."

The National Socialist Party (JASD) is one of the partners of the Awami-led 14-party alliance. The party's president is former Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu. He was arrested from Uttara in the capital on August 26 after the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024. On June 30 of this year, the International Crimes Tribunal-2 sentenced him to 10 years in prison in a crimes against humanity case. He is currently in jail.