Five hundred and eighty seven academics, lawyers, journalists, physicians, and engineers in a statement on Saturday called for the release of main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and other political prisoners without any further delay.

They demanded that the political prisoners be released immediately in order to pave the way for peaceful politics instead of making the country a police state.

The joint statement read that the wholesale arrests of the opposition leaders and activists came when the call for holding the next general election was becoming stronger under a neutral caretaker government.

It seems that the arrests have turned the country into a police state, it said.

The BNP held a grand rally in the capital on October 28, which saw violent clashes between BNP supporters and the police.

On October 29, Detective Branch of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police arrested BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

Among the signatories of the statement are: Professor Dr. Anwarullah Chowdhury, Professor Dr. Afam Yusuf Haider, Advocate AJ Mohammad Ali, Journalist Alamgir Mohiuddin, Advocate Zainul Abedin, Journalist Ruhul Amin Gazi, Professor Dr. AZM Zahid Hossain, Professor Dr. Siraj Uddin Ahmed, Professor Dr. Farhad Halim Donor, Professor Dr. Tazmeri SA Islam, journalist Dr. Rezwan Hossain Siddiqui, poet and journalist Abdul Hai Shikder, journalist Mustafa Kamal Majumder, Professor Dr. Abdul Latif Masum, Professor Dr. Khalilur Rahman, Professor Dr. Gazi Abdul Haque, Professor Dr. Mosharraf Hossain Mia, journalist MA Aziz, journalist Kamal Uddin Sabuj, journalist M. Abdullah, journalist Quader Gani Chowdhury, journalist Syed Abdal Ahmed, former secretary Abdul Halim, former secretary Ismail Zabiullah, former secretary Abdur Rashid Sarkar, former secretary Bijan Kanti Sarkar, Dr. Syeda Tajnin Warish Simki, Muhammad Zakaria, journalist Morsalin Nomani, Professor Dr. Abdul Quddus, Professor Dr. AKM Azizul Haque, Engineer Anh Akhtar Hossain, Professor Dr. Haroon Al Rashid, Dr. Abdus Salam, engineer Riazul Islam Riju, engineer Alamgir Hasin Ahmed, agronomist Rashidul Hasan Harun, agronomist Professor Dr. Mostafizur Rahman, Professor Dr. ABM Obaidul Islam, Professor Dr. Morshed Hasan Khan, Professor Dr. Lutfar Rahman, Professor Dr. Chiddikur Rahman Khan, Barrister Kaiser Kamal, Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kajal, Advocate Masud Ahmed Talukder, prominent cultural figure Ashraf Uddin Ujjal, cultural figure Rafiqul Islam, agriculturist Golam Hafiz Kennedy, Professor Dr. Shamsul Alam Salim, Professor Dr. Nurul Islam, Professor Dr. Kamrul Ahsan, Professor Dr. Nazrul Islam, agriculturist Shamimur Rahman Shamim, journalist Syed Mejbah Uddin Ahmed, journalist Shahidul Islam, journalist Khurshid Alam, Amirul Islam Kaggi, Nuruddin Nuru, Professor Dr. Abdur Rashid, Professor Dr. Abdul Karim, Advocate Abdul Jabbar Bhuiyan, Advocate Omar Farooq Farooqui, Advocate Shamim Akhtar, Advocate Abdul Khalek Milan, Advocate Zahirul Hasan Mokul, Professor Dr. Muhammad Kamrul Ahsan, Professor Dr. Mohammad Iqbal, Professor Dr. Md. Al Amin, Professor Dr. Md. Golam Rabbani, Professor Dr. SM Nasrul Kadir, Professor Dr. Khandkar Emmamul Haque (Sanjid), Professor Dr. GKM Mostafizur Rahman, Professor Dr. M Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Professor Dr. Syed Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan, Professor Dr. Md. Tozammel Hossain, Professor Dr. Sabbir Mustafa Khan, Professor Dr. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Professor Dr. Nasreen Sultana, Professor Dr. Mohammad Futarul Islam Howlader, Professor Dr. Mamunur Rashid, Professor. Md. Abul Hashem, Professor Dr. SM Abdur Razzak, AKM Wahiduzzaman Apollo, Prof. Dr. Masuma Habib, Professor Dr. Md. Emtaz Hossain, Professor Dr. ARM Mostafizur Rahman, Advocate Kamrul Islam Sajal, Advocate Mohammad Ali, Advocate Joynal Abedin Mesbah, Prof. Dr. Aminul Islam Talukder, Prof. Anisur Rahman, Professor Dr. Md. Mustafizur Rahman, Professor Sheikh Mahmudul Hasan, Dr. A.N. Fazlul Haque Saikat, Prof. Dr. MM Shariful Karim, Dr. Sheikh Monir Uddin and Professor Dr. Md. Mamun Or Rashid, Professor Dr. Md. Abul Kalam Sarkar, Professor Dr. Md. Rais Uddin, Professor Dr. Golam Rabbani, Dr. Shakirul Islam Khan Shakeel, Professor Dr. Md. Masudul Hasan Khan (Mukta), Professor Dr. Md. Almojaddedi Alfeshani, Professor Dr. Abul Hasnat Mohammad Shamim, Debashish Pal, Prof. Dr. Md. Khairul Islam Rubel, Professor Dr. Abu Zafar Khan, Professor Dr. ATM Zafrul Azam, Professor Dr. Md. Amjad Hossain Sarkar, Professor Dr. Md. Shafiqul Islam, Professor Dr. Md. Amir Hossain, Professor Dr. Md. Nurul Islam, Khan Md. Monowarul Islam, Muhammad Sajjadur Rahim (Sajid), Professor Dr. Md. Belal Uddin, Professor Dr. ABM Saiful Islam, Muhammad Sher Mahmud, Professor Dr. Nazmus Sadat, Md. Tanzil Hossain, Professor Dr. Md. Abdul Karim, Professor Dr. Md. Jahangir Sarkar, Professor Dr. Md. Ataur Rahman, Professor Dr. Md. Abdul Khalek and Professor Dr. Md. Saif Ullah, Md. Al Amin, Dr. Md. Saiful Alam, Dr. Ali Md. Kawsar, Professor Dr. Md. Sirajul Islam, Professor Dr. Md. Abdus Salam, Md. Shah Shamim Ahmed and Prof. Moninur Rashid, Professor Dr. Muhammad Asaduzzaman, Professor Dr. Shamima Sultana, Professor Dr. Md. Sohel Rana, Professor. Md. Shahidul Islam Zahid, Professor Dr. Nasif Ahsan, Professor Dr. Md. Akhtar Hossain, Professor Dr. Md. Matiur Rahman, Professor Dr. Md. Mezbahul Islam, Professor Dr. Md. Nazrul Islam, Professor Tanvir Ahsan, Professor Dr. Md. Nazrul Islam, Professor Dr. Md. Imam Hossain, Professor Dr. Md. Rabiul Islam, Professor Dr. Md. Shahidul Islam, Professor Dr. Md. Anisur Rahman, Professor Dr. Md. Ashabul Haque, Professor Dr. Md. Ali Hossain, Professor Dr. Md. Manzoor-ul-Hayder, Professor Dr. SM Hafizur Rahman, Professor Dr. Md. Shamim Ahsan Talukder (Tusar), Dr. Md. Nazmul Hossain, Advocate MA Bari, Professor of Agriculture. AK Fazlul Haque Bhuiyan, Advocate Nazim Uddin Chowdhury, Advocate Abul Kashem, Engineer Abdul Halim, Dr. Azfarul Habib Rose, Engineer Manzoor Morshed, Dr. Rafiqul Islam Bachchu, Dr. Rafiqul Islam, Dr. Parvez Reza Kakan, Dr. Aman Ullah, Dr. Mohammad Ali Siddique, Dr. Bajlul Gani Bhuiyan, Professor Dr. Md. Israfil Ratan, Professor Dr. Sabrina Shahnaz, Professor Dr. Md. Rakibul Haque, Professor Dr. Kazi Ahsan Habib, Professor Tahmina Akhtar (Toffee), Professor Dr. Yarul Kabir, Professor Dr. AK Fazlul Haque Bhuiyan, Professor Dr. SM Abdul Awal, Prof. Sajedul Karim, Professor Dr. Md. Jasim Uddin, Professor Dr. Abdus Salam, Professor Dr. Md. Mehndi mother