Shafiqul Alam meets BNP, anti-discrimination student activists, and NCP leaders amid ongoing demands for KMP Commissioner’s removal

Khulna, June 28 — Shafiqul Alam, Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser, held a nearly hour-long meeting with leaders and activists from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, and the National Citizen Party (NCP) at the Khulna Press Club on Saturday evening.

The meeting began at 7:00 PM following a day of heightened tensions in Khulna, as protests intensified calling for the removal of the Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP) Commissioner. Earlier in the day, Shafiqul Alam had attended a separate discussion with journalists at the Khulna Deputy Commissioner’s conference room. After that engagement, he visited the Khulna Press Club, where the protesters had gathered.

During the meeting, Shafiqul Alam listened to the concerns and demands raised by the protesters. At the end of the discussion, he assured them that their message—particularly regarding the resignation of the KMP Commissioner—would be conveyed directly to the Chief Adviser.

Sajidul Islam Bappy, Central Joint Coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and Secretary of its Khulna district unit, stated that they were not seeking a resolution from the press secretary himself. Rather, their intent was to deliver a message to the Chief Adviser. According to him, previous appeals to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Home Affairs Adviser went unaddressed, which prompted them to turn to the press secretary as an intermediary.

He emphasized that the continued presence of the current police commissioner in Khulna was unacceptable and that their protests would persist until the demand for his removal was met.

Jahurul Tanvir, Secretary of the Anti-Discrimination Movement’s Khulna metropolitan chapter, echoed these sentiments. He reiterated that their primary goal in meeting with the press secretary was to ensure that their message was delivered to the top level of the interim government. He stated that despite days of protests, no senior police or interior ministry officials had approached the demonstrators or acknowledged their demands.

He added that the protest had entered its fourth day, driven by a singular demand—the removal of the KMP Commissioner, whom they accuse of incompetence and misconduct.

The meeting between the protesters and the press secretary marked a significant moment in the ongoing standoff, as it represented the first instance of direct engagement between representatives of the Chief Adviser’s office and the demonstrators.

While no immediate resolution was offered during the meeting, the protesters expressed hope that their concerns would now reach the appropriate authority. The broader movement in Khulna continues to draw support from various political and civil society groups, as pressure builds on the authorities to respond to the protesters’ demands.