Tetultala Playground: Fair probe into detention of mother, son demanded

Different environmental organizations have demanded an impartial inquiry into the detention of local resident Syeda Ratna and her son for protesting against the construction of a police station at Tetultala playground in capital’s Kalabagan.

The organizations made the demand at a press conference held at Dhaka Reporters' Unity (DRU) on Monday in protest against the harassment and detention of the two.

Architect Iqbal Habib, Joint-Secretary of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa) read out a written statement at the press conference, reports UNB.

He said that even though the police released Syeda Ratna and her son at midnight in the face of daylong protests, an illegal bond was taken from her to stop the movement.

The organizations also strongly condemned the incident and said keeping anyone in custody for more than 13 hours is a violation of the constitution and laws of the country.

Besides, the organizations will hold a protest rally at Tetultala playground in Kalabagan at 3 pm to protest the detention.

Human rights activist Khushi Kabir, Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa) vice-president Architect Mobasher Hossain, Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) chief executive Syeda Rizwana Hasan and representatives of other organizations were also present at the conference.

Earlier, Ratna and her son were detained by police when she was live-streaming the construction of a boundary wall at the playground on Facebook around 11am on Sunday.

However, police freed Syeda Ratna and her son, nearly 13 hours after their detention on charges of "spreading hate speech" as she protested the construction of a police station on the playground at Kalabagan.