Top Bangladeshi student protest leader Nahid Islam and two others were forcibly removed from a Dhaka hospital by police detectives on Friday, according to a staff member who spoke to AFP.
"They took them from us," said Anwara Begum Lucky, the supervisor at Gonoshasthaya hospital. "The men were from the Detective Branch... (The students) were receiving treatment here."
The number of arrests related to the recent violent protests in Bangladesh has exceeded 2,500, as reported by AFP on Tuesday. These protests, sparked by concerns over employment quotas, have led to widespread chaos.
A separate AFP count reveals that at least 174 people have been killed, including several police officers, based on reports from police and hospitals.
The student group that initiated the demonstrations has temporarily suspended its protests for 48 hours, as announced on Monday. The group's leader stated that they did not seek reform "at the expense of so much bloodshed."
Nahid Islam, who has expressed fears for his life to AFP, extended the protest suspension by another 48 hours on Tuesday evening, pushing the pause until Friday.
