Bholaganj-Juri Reporter: Masum Ahmed Hasan, the former president of the Southbhag Union Chhatra League in the Bholaganj Upazila of Moulvibazar, claims that his relatives did not rescue him from the police, although the police allege that they did. He further stated that he fled to avoid arrest. Yesterday, he shared this claim in a post on his Facebook page.
In the post, he claimed that no one from his family had taken him away from the police that day. When the police tried to force him into a vehicle, he fled. However, following the incident, two cases were filed against him. He has stated that he will voluntarily surrender to the police and serve his sentence if the cases against those who were wrongfully implicated are withdrawn and if the four innocent people arrested by the police are released.
Describing the incident, Masum Ahmed Hasan, the former president of the Union Chhatra League, wrote on his Facebook page, “Respected people of Southbhag and Bholaganj Upazila, you are probably already familiar with me, Masum Azir Ahmed. You all know me since childhood and are aware of my life. I have spent my entire life in this area. The luxurious life abroad has never lured me. Regardless of political affiliation, you have elected my father repeatedly since 1992. I grew up in this area and have built relationships with every person in the area, and that’s why the people of this region know me.”
“For the past 15-16 years, the Awami League government has been in power. My father was a Union Member, Union Chairman, three-time Union Chairman, and the Upazila Chairman. My uncle was a member of the district council. I can confidently say that I have never harmed anyone in my lifetime. Can anyone say that they were politically harmed by me? Or that I, being the son of the Upazila Chairman, have ever shown power or spoken arrogantly to anyone?”
“During the tenure of the Awami League government, we were almost oppositional. My two uncles, Mawlana Akhtar Hossain, had seven or eight cases against him, and my uncle Azim Uddin had one case. The Awami League government even labeled my area as a BNP-Jamaat-dominated area, claiming that we provided shelter to BNP-Jamaat. My father would often say that he was elected by the votes of everyone, and the political identity came second to the people of my Union and Upazila. Prominent Islamic scholars were often invited to Tafsir sessions in our village, and my father would preside over these sessions. I was also the Joint Secretary of the organization. This made us controversial among the government and political leaders of that time.”
“Now, suddenly, I am being attacked without any case against me. My two children are ill in the hospital. I told the police that there was no case against me. I requested 30 minutes to bring my sick children from the hospital and provide them with medicine before I would come to the police station. Many senior BNP-Jamaat members who were present at the market supported my reasonable request. Since there was no case against me, I requested that they allow me 30 minutes to sort my children. Despite this, the respected police members forcibly tried to drag me into a vehicle, and I ran away from there. No scuffle or violence took place.”
“I deeply regret that three innocent businessmen from Kalajura Market and one resident of Kashem Nagar (Tazul Islam, Jamil Ahmed, Gourdhon Babu) were arrested. They are extremely simple and not involved in any political matter.”
“If I were a true criminal, why would my younger brothers, who are under 18, be implicated in the case? Many expatriates who have been abroad for years have also been implicated. This is a deliberate conspiracy aimed at erasing our family from society. Undoubtedly, our family is the victim of political revenge, and these events are part of a planned scheme. The police themselves have confirmed that there was no scuffle or violence. Yet, there are rumors suggesting we attacked them. This shows the confusion and clear signs of conspiracy.”
“Anyway, I believe in Allah, who is merciful. The ones causing harm to me today will, in time, face the consequences of their actions.”
“Note: Before the incident, I had no cases against me. Now, two cases have been filed against me. If there is any politician in Bholaganj Upazila who believes that Masum is a criminal, and if they take responsibility, I will surrender and serve my sentence, but only if the cases against my innocent brothers are withdrawn and the three businessmen from Kalajura Market are released. I am ready to respect the law and face imprisonment voluntarily. I understand that if I am imprisoned, it will be for a long time, but I do not want anyone from my family or my area to suffer because of me. Any politician who wants to talk can contact me.”
