Online Desk 

Police in Cumilla have filed a case against 51 named individuals and around 160 unidentified persons over an alleged flash procession organized under the banner of the banned Chhatra League and the chanting of anti-government slogans. Authorities say 48 people have been arrested in connection with the incident so far.

The case was filed on Monday night under the Anti-Terrorism Act by Sub-Inspector Ahsan Habib of Sadar Dakshin Model Police Station. The accused include leaders and activists affiliated with the Bangladesh Awami League, Jubo League, and Bangladesh Chhatra League.

According to the First Information Report (FIR), several hundred activists marched through parts of Sadar Dakshin in Cumilla on Sunday afternoon under the Chhatra League banner while chanting slogans against the government. Police allege that the procession was organized with the intention of disrupting public order and undermining state security.

Among the named accused are former Member of Parliament for the Cumilla-6 constituency, A K M Bahauddin Bahar, and Ehteshamul Haque Bhuiyan Rumi, secretary for science and technology affairs of the South District unit of the Awami League in Cumilla.

Police sources said the 48 detainees were produced before a court, where their bail petitions were rejected. The court subsequently ordered that they be sent to jail.

Local political sources have alleged that Ehteshamul Haque Bhuiyan Rumi provided financial support and organizational direction for the rally. They also claim that he played a role in several similar flash demonstrations carried out by the Awami League and its affiliated organizations in Cumilla after August 5, 2024.

Officer-in-Charge Rakibul Islam said police operations are continuing to apprehend the remaining suspects and that the matter is being investigated with priority.