A national inquiry commission has been formed by eminent personalities to look into the allegations of arrests, torture, killings, and violations of human rights over the quota reform movement.

The members of the commission comprise lawyers, teachers, cultural activists, and guardians of students.

The nine-member body titled ‘National Public Inquiry Commission’ will be headed by Justice Md Abdul Matin and lawyer and human rights activist Sultana Kamal, says a press release issued on Monday.

The other members of the commission are senior lawyer ZI Khan Panna, senior journalist Abu Sayeed Khan, Prof GitiaraNasrin, senior journalist Ashraf Kaiser, lawyer Anik R Haque, Prof Tanzimuddin Khan, and writer and researcher Maha Mirza.

Senior lawyer Tabarak Hossain, Barrister Sara Hossain, senior lawyer Shahdeen Malik, writer and academician Salimullah Khan, university teacher Quazi Mahfujul Hoque Supan, lawyers Rashna Imam, Jyotirmoy Barua, and university teacher Saimum Reza Talukder will serve as advisers to the commission.

According to the press release, on 16 July, protestors were severely beaten to suppress the quota reform movement in the Dhaka University area. Abu Sayeed was shot directly in the chest in Rangpur, and common people across the country took to the streets to protest the attacks on students at universities. But in cases filed by police, general students and the public have been made responsible for the violence. This has raised questions among the entire investigation process in the minds of ordinary citizens.

The press release says that the students involved in this movement have been tried to be controlled by various violent means, including torture, shooting, and mass arrests, and there have been allegations of gross violations of the constitution and human rights.

Therefore, fair investigations have become crucial to uncovering the causes of these incidents, adds the press release.

The commission has urged people to send all information about various violent acts, including torture, killings, shootings, and threats centred on the anti-discrimination student movement.

Any kind of information, including audio, video, photographs, and text, can be sent, says the press release signed by Prof Tanzimuddin Khan and Maha Mirza, member secretaries of the commission.