Akhtar Hossain
Akhtar Hossain is a human rights defender, a law student at Dhaka University, and the former social services secretary of the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU). He is also one of the key organizers of the Students Against Discrimination Movement, a student-led protest demanding reform of the quota system in government jobs in Bangladesh. The movement began after the Supreme Court of Bangladesh’s ruling in June 2024 reinstated a 30% quota for descendants of freedom fighters, making up part of the total 56% of first and second-class government jobs in Bangladesh that were reserved under various quotas. This quota system has been widely criticized as discriminatory and is alleged to be used for political purposes.
On 17 July 2024, Akhtar Hossain, who is also the convener of Gonotantrik Chhatra Shakti, was arrested at the base of the Raju Memorial Sculpture around 3:00 PM during a protest organized by the Students Against Discrimination Movement. The protest escalated when police ordered the demonstrators to leave, but Akhtar Hossain refused to leave the vicinity, leading to an argument between the protesters and the authorities. In an attempt to disperse the crowd, police threw four to five sound grenades, resulting in chaos during which Akhtar Hossain and another individual were arrested. The case filed against him for obstructing police is directly related to this gathering.
On 18 July 2024, a Dhaka court, presided over by the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, placed Akhtar Hossain on a two-day remand in connection with the case filed for obstructing police in the performance of their duties. The remand order came after the case's investigation officer, a sub-inspector from the Shahbag police station, requested a seven-day remand.
