Abdul Hai Kanu, a freedom fighter, had to leave his ancestral home in Chauddagram, Cumilla yesterday morning due to harassment from suspected Jamaat-e-Islami supporters.
“My husband left yesterday afternoon because he was afraid and mentally distraught. Since August 5, Jamaat activists have attacked our home twice: on August 19 and September 2. Kanu’s wife, Rehana Begum, told The Daily Star today.
Last night, a video of a group of men telling Kanu to leave the area by nightfall went viral on the Awami League’s official X account (formerly Twitter). The video shows the men securing a shoelace around Kanu’s neck.
Kanu claims that around 11:30 a.m., a man named Hashem stopped him while he was out purchasing medication and brought him to Kuliara Primary School.
Kanu told The Daily Star over the phone, “They threatened to kill me, put a sharp knife at my neck, and dragged me by the collar to the school.”
“They also beat me, forced a garland of shoes around my neck, and ordered me to leave the district by nightfall.”
Kanu blamed Wahid and Abul Hashem Mazumder, both Jamaat leaders, for leading the assault.
Between 2001 and 2006, Hashem participated in additional assaults and instances of torture. Since August 5, they have even attacked my house multiple times,” he claimed.
Kanu, who is also a member of the central committee of the Krishak League, said that former Railway Minister Mujibul Haque had wrongfully implicated him in nine cases in 2016.
Kanu claimed that these cases were retaliation for his refusal to contribute to Haque’s son’s 2016 election campaign for the chairmanship of the Batisha Union Council.
But according to Chauddagram Police Station officer-in-charge Akhteruzzaman, there were only two cases against Kanu on file, one of which involved murder charges.
The amir of Jamaat-e-Islami’s Chauddagram unit, Mahfuzur Rahman, denied his party’s role in the incident when contacted.
“This incident did not involve local leaders. Additionally, we don’t know if Hashem, an expat, is one of our activists,” he stated.
Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, meanwhile, strongly denounced the incident in a statement this afternoon.
“We strongly condemn the defamation of Freedom Fighter Abdul Hai in Chauddagram on Sunday.” A Facebook post from the CA press wing states, “The police and local administration have been instructed to look into the incident and make sure the offenders are brought to justice.”
Kanu has been implicated in nine cases, including one involving murder, according to the post.
The statement went on to say, “We urge everyone to refrain from taking the law into their own hands.”
During his visit to Kanu’s home this afternoon, Chauddagram Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Rahamat Ullah gave him assurances about security in the event that he decides to go back.
