Former Assistant Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami, ATM Azharul Islam, declared his sense of liberation after being released: "I am now free, I am now independent. If Allah keeps me alive, we will meet again and speak again." During a gathering, he criticized the road blockade caused by the rally, urging not to cause public suffering. He also expressed gratitude to the martyrs and fighters of the mass uprising, as well as to the student community.