Deceased, expats accused in Moulvibazar police case over sabotage during Jamaat road march

Lokman Hossain, son of Rumuz Ali from Hasnabad village under Jaifarnagar union in Moulvibazar, died of cancer six years ago on 4 August 2017. However, the police claim that Lokman participated in a Jamaat road march on 5 October, engaging in sabotage.

The day after the Jamaat road march, Sub-Inspector Khasrul Alam Badal of Juri police station filed a case against 28 activists from BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami and 20-25 unidentified persons.

Apart from the late Lokman Hossain, some expatriates are also named as accused in this case of sabotage.

According to the case statement, "As Jamaat-Shibir and BNP activists paraded on the streets, attempting to block traffic and commit acts of sabotage, the police intervened. Despite the police barricade, they continued the procession and hurled bricks and stones at the police, obstructing government operations."

Deceased Lokman Hossain is listed as accused number 11 in the case.

Mahtab Ahmad, the elder brother of the late Lokman Hossain, stated, "My brother Lokman passed away from cancer over six years ago. How could he have risen from the grave to participate in the procession? He continued, "If there is a case in my brother's name, consider the ordeal we, the living, must endure."

Zayed Ahmed of Hamidpur village is listed as accused number 6 in this case. He has resided in Saudi Arabia for six years. Zayed's elder brother, Abdus Shukur, remarked, "My brother has been in Saudi Arabia since 2018. Yet he's been accused in a police case despite being abroad. Even those who are not involved in politics have been accused."

Burhan Uddin, son of Rajab Uddin from Fultala Union, has been in the UAE for two years and is named as accused number 23 in the case.

Naeem Uddin, son of Ibrahim Ali from Fultala Bazar, left for Qatar eight years ago and is currently residing in Portugal. He is also named as accused number 24 in the police-filed case.

Naeem's father, Ibrahim Ali, expressed, "My son has been abroad for nearly eight years. We cannot comprehend how he could have participated in the procession from abroad and be accused in this case."

Chairman of Jaifarnagar Union Parishad, Masum Reza, also confirmed to this newspaper that Lokman Hossain passed away six years ago due to cancer.

"There was no police presence at the location where we marched. It is perplexing that even deceased individual, expatriates, and those over the age of eighty have been implicated in the case," said Abdur Rahman, the former Ameer of Juri upazila Jamaat.

When questioned about this matter on Sunday night via mobile phone, Moulvibazar Superintendent of Police Md Manjur Alam initially said he could not hear. However, after several attempts, his phone was later found to be switched off.

The plaintiff in the case, SI Khasrul Alam Badal of Juri police station, declined to make any comments on the matter and suggested talking to the OC.

"Any mistakes in the inclusion of names as accused in the case will be investigated and rectified," said Juri Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain.