'Bangladeshi-origin British citizen' jailed in police case over BNP clash
“Mukit has no knowledge of Bangladeshi politics. He struggles with Bangla and requires assistance whenever he goes outside,” the victim's brother-in-law Gaffer said, refuting his involvement in politics.
Forty-two-year-old Mohammad Ilius Mukit, who is supposedly a British citizen of Bangladeshi origin, arrived in the country just before the Covid-19 pandemic swept the world, seeking to claim his predecessor's property.
A land-related dispute, however, meant Mukit – who has limited proficiency in Bangla – had to prolong his stay.
On 29 October, to his family's surprise, Mukit found himself incarcerated in Cumilla jail on charges of clashing with the police during the BNP-Jamaat hartal in the Chawkbazar area of Cumilla on 29 October.
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Mukit was named as the 30th accused along with 300 other unnamed individuals in the case filed by Kotwali Model Police Station's Sub-Inspector Jeebon Krishna Majumder.
The FIR was signed by the police station's Inspector (investigation) Mohammad Raqibul Islam and Officer-in-Charge Ahmed Sanjur Morshed.
Mukit's family asserts that Mukit, a resident of London, is a British citizen by birth.
His father, Abdul Mukit, resides in the Manoharpur area of Adarsh Sadar upazila in Cumilla.
Mukit's brother-in-law, Abdul Gaffer Obayed, said, "Mukit married a Bangladeshi girl and was in the process of preparing documents to take her to London.
"Mukit has no knowledge of Bangladeshi politics. He struggles with Bangla and requires assistance whenever he goes outside," he added.
Contacted, plaintiff SI Jeebon said, "He was accused in the case in the presence of many senior police officers. He was named in the case because he was present at the scene. He will have the opportunity to defend himself in court."
Former president of Swechasebak Dal, Nizam Uddin Kaiser, who has been named as the 7th accused in the case, said, "Mohammad Ilius Mukit is not affiliated with BNP; we don't know him."
Mukit's lawyer, Mohammad Anwer Hossain, said, "Police have not provided any evidence of his involvement in the clash, yet they arrested him from his house. The British High Commission in Bangladesh has reached out to us multiple times and assured us that they are prepared to provide any support their citizen requires."
He also mentioned that Mukit was denied bail.
Kotwali Thana OC Ahmed Sanjur Morshed said, "Who said he is a British citizen? He resides here in Bangladesh and is involved in teaching."
Documents obtained by this newspaper show a copy of a passport that shows Mukit is a British citizen. It also has an entry for when he arrived in the country.
The British High Commission in Dhaka could not be reached for comments.
