Dipankar Das, owner of the Bangladesh-based bookstore Baatighar, was briefly detained by the Chattogram's Kotwali police over a case filed against him in connection with the July-August mass uprising in 2024, which led to the fall of the former PM Sheikh Hasina-led government.

Das was later released.

Confirming the matter, Dipankar told The Daily Star, "A group of policemen came to my Jamal Khan store at the Press Club building and told me that the Assistant Commissioner (AC) of Kotwali Zone invited me to have a cup of tea. Later, I got into their police van and they took me to the officer-in-charge (OC)'s room."

"OC Abdul Karim asked me, saying, 'do you know that a case was filed against you?' I replied, 'yes'. Then the OC said, 'if you knew, why didn't you come to the police station?' I replied that I informed the matter to the higher police officers and the home ministry. I am not involved in anything," Dipankar Das said.

"Later I was taken to another room where an officer asked me to call my friend and requested me not to tell anyone about the matter. When my friend came to the police station, police took my details on a white paper and released me at around 2:00pm," he said.

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Meanwhile, a police official said he was detained due to a misunderstanding.

 Inspector (investigation) Robel Afrad of Kotwali Police Station told The Daily Star, "There was a misunderstanding, nothing else."

Dipankar Das has been named in a case as an accused over an attack on a student-public gathering in the city's New Market area on July 4, 2024 when the country was witnessing a massive movement against the former government.

A Chittagong University student, Tafhimul Islam, filed the case accusing 735 persons, including AL leaders, MPs, and journalists, on charges of attempted murder and explosion, The Daily Star reported.

Bangladesh has witnessed a spike in attacks on Hindus and other minority community members ever since former PM Sheikh Hasina and her government was ousted from power amid violent protests against her regime.