5 detained over freedom fighter's harassment in Cumilla
The detainees are Ismail Hossain Majumder, 43, Jamal Uddin Majumder, 58, and Elias Bhuiyan, 58, from Kuliara village of Chauddagram, Abul Kalam Azad, 48, from Raykot village in Nangalkot, and Imtiaz Abdullah Sazzad, 19, from Maishadi village of Chandpur sadar
Police have detained five individuals in connection with the harassment of freedom fighter Abdul Hai Kanu, who was forced to wear a garland of shoes in Cumilla's Chauddagram upazila.
The detainees are Ismail Hossain Majumder, 43, Jamal Uddin Majumder, 58, and Elias Bhuiyan, 58, from Kuliara village of Chauddagram, Abul Kalam Azad, 48, from Raykot village in Nangalkot, and Imtiaz Abdullah Sazzad, 19, from Maishadi village of Chandpur sadar, reports Prothom Alo.
"They were detained yesterday (23 December) during raids conducted in different areas of the upazila after police analysed video footage of the incident which went viral on social media," Chauddagram Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) ATM Akhtaruzzaman said at a press briefing today (24 December).
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
"The detainees have been sent to court. However, no case has been filed by the victim yet."
The OC further stated that Abdul Hai Kanu and his family claimed that a prepared case document was snatched by unidentified individuals while they were on their way to the court in Feni.
"Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the main accused - Abul Hashem and Ohidur Rahman - identified as expelled Jamaat activists," he added.
The incident occurred on Sunday (22 December) in front of Kuliara High School in Batisa union. Abdul Hai, 78, was forcibly garlanded with shoes. The video of the incident went viral on social media later that night, sparking widespread outrage.
The one-minute-and-46-second video that surfaced on social media shows Abdul Hai being brought forward by a group of young men and a middle-aged individual. Wearing a red waistcoat and traditional attire, Hai is seen pleading with the perpetrators as they force him to wear a garland of shoes.
One person in the video is heard threatening Hai - who was involved with Awami League before the AL government fell on 5 August in a mass uprising - to leave his house, while another demands he leave Cumilla entirely.
The visibly distressed Hai, hands folded, apologised to the men, as the group accused him of harming the community. The video ends with two individuals escorting him away from the scene.
According to locals, the incident took place when Hai went to the local market yesterday morning and was accosted by the group, who took him to Kuliara High School. There, he was physically and verbally harassed. Following the incident, the perpetrators fled.
Quoting OC Akhtaruzzaman, the Prothom Alo said the harassment stemmed from a longstanding feud between Abdul Hai and Abul Hashem.
"In 2008, Abdul Hai allegedly assaulted Hashem's elder brother Abdul Halim during a school management committee election. On the day of the incident, Hashem confronted Abdul Hai at a market and brought him to a school field where a crowd had gathered. There, one suggested that the freedom fighter should apologise to the villagers, leading to the humiliating act," he said.
The incident has sparked a mixed reaction among the public and political leaders in Chauddagram. While many condemned the humiliation of the freedom fighter, some also raised issues about Abdul Hai's alleged past misconduct.
Particularly, there was widespread criticism regarding Kanu's history of involvement in nine cases, including murder, assault, vandalism, and extortion, despite which he has not been arrested.
When contacted, Abdul Hai stated, "The nine cases against me were filed during the Awami League's tenure, instigated by former railways minister and a local MP Mujibul Haque."
