Habiganj activist held after claim of torching police station, killing cop

Habiganj police on Saturday night arrested Mahdi Hasan, district member secretary of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, days after a viral video showed him making inflammatory remarks about burning down a police station and killing a police officer during the 2024 July-August uprising.

Mahdi was arrested in Habiganj town around 7:45 pm on January 3, Shayestaganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Abul Kalam confirmed.

The arrest follows widespread criticism over a video recorded on January 1 inside Shayestaganj Police Station, where Mahdi was seen confronting the OC and demanding the release of Enamul Hasan Nayan, a former Chhatra League activist detained on suspicion of links to a now-banned organisation. The video, initially shared by Mahdi himself on social media, quickly went viral and drew sharp public backlash.

In the footage, Mahdi appeared to boast about acts of violence during last year’s uprising, telling the OC: “We burned down Baniachang police station, and we set SI Santosh on fire. We formed the government through the July movement. You are part of our administration, yet you have arrested our people.”

His comments referred to the violence of August 5, 2024, when Baniachang Police Station was attacked amid nationwide protests that eventually led to the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government. Sub-Inspector Santosh Chowdhury was killed during the attack, with reports at the time describing his lynching and the police station being torched.

As criticism mounted, the central committee of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement moved to distance itself from Mahdi. On Saturday, the organisation issued him a show-cause notice, signed by office secretary Shahadat Hossain, calling his remarks unwarranted and contrary to the group’s principles. He was asked to explain his comments within 24 hours and was barred from organisational activities pending further review.

Mahdi has acknowledged receiving the notice, later claiming his remarks were a “slip of the tongue” made in the heat of the moment. He argued that Enamul Hasan Nayan, despite past ties to Chhatra League, had actively participated in the anti-discrimination movement, and said he had photos and videos to support his claim.

Police said Nayan was detained late on Thursday night, December 31, 2025, after his name surfaced on a Chhatra League committee list. Following mediation by Additional Superintendent of Police Shahidul Islam and verification of his role in the 2024 protests, Nayan was released around 3:30 pm on Friday. No criminal charges were filed against him after the review, police sources added.

The arrest of Mahdi Hasan has reignited debate over accountability for violence during the 2024 uprising, particularly incidents involving attacks on police stations and the killing of law enforcement personnel. The death of SI Santosh remains a deeply sensitive issue.

Police said investigations are ongoing, and no formal charges against Mahdi Hasan had been announced as of Saturday night.