The family members of the six coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement were allowed to meet the leaders at the detective branch custody on Monday.
After meeting the coordinators at the DB office in the capital鈥檚 Minto Road in the afternoon, they claimed that the coordinators鈥� statement on Sunday was not given forcefully.
Meanwhile, Tanjim Ahmed Sohel Taj, a former state minister for home and son of the country鈥檚 founding prime minister Tajuddin Ahmad, met the DB chief Harun or Rashid to meet the coordinators but he was asked for the permission of higher authorities.
The family members had lunch with the DB chief inside the DB office after meeting the coordinators.
鈥榃e were entertained with different foods during lunch,鈥� the family members said.
The coordinators were doing fine and safe under the DB custody, they said, adding, 鈥榃e are tension-free now that we have met them.鈥�
Earlier on Sunday, families gathered in front of the DB office but were denied meeting the coordinators.
Sohel Taj said that he expressed his wish to the DB chief for meeting the coordinators if they were in safe custody and he did not have further question if they were shown arrested.
鈥業n response, Harun or Rashid said that the six coordinators were taken into custody as they were worried about their security, but they cannot be met without the permission of higher authorities,鈥� Sohel Taj said.
Taj also said that when he asked if the coordinators sought security to the police, Harun replied that they observed that the coordinators were suffering from insecurity.
Quoting Harun, he said that they would be released only when the higher authorities give instructions.
The former minister also said that the losses caused during the quota movement were meager because destroyed asset could be rebuilt but a life could not be brought back.
He demanded investigation into every murder impartially.
On July 26, Nahid Islam, Asif Mahmud, and Abu Bakar Mazumder were taken from the hospital to the DB office to ensure their safety.
Later, on July 27, Sarjis Alam, Hasnat Abdullah and Nusrat Tabassum were also taken into DB custody.
Students鈥� protests that had been continuing since early July seeking reform in quotas for government jobs turned violent following an attack on protesters by the ruling party student body, the Bangladesh Chhatra League, on July 15.
More than 200 people were killed and thousands injured in clashes during protests between July 16 and July 21.