Bagatipara, Natore is the place.
Victim: Md. Akhtaruzzaman, 76, has been paralyzed and has kidney failure for more than ten years.
There are claims that Md. Akhtaruzzaman, a senior citizen and long-time member of the opposition BNP, has been the victim of a shocking political and administrative conspiracy. Akhtaruzzaman has been paralyzed and unable to move for the past ten years because of serious health problems, including kidney failure. Now, he is facing two attempted murder charges that his family and supporters say are “unbelievable” and “politically motivated.”
Local sources say that Mehedi Hasan, the nephew of Abdul Mannan, who is the president of the Awami League’s Motihar Thana unit, is the mastermind behind the plot. Reports say that Mehedi was fired from the National Security Intelligence (NSI) in 2014 because of extortion charges. Since then, he has been arrested several times for similar crimes while using fake names.
People say that Mehedi is working with Rezaul Karim, who is known to be a close aide to the controversial former MP Abul Kalam, and ASM Altaf Khan Sweet, who is the president of the district chapter of the student group Chhatra Sanghoti. The three are accused of filing false cases not only against Akhtaruzzaman but also against other members of his family. This is part of what is being called an organized scheme of “case trading” for political and financial gain.
Akhtaruzzaman talked about how angry and hopeless he was about the situation from his home.
“I have spent my whole life fighting against fascism. In a free country, don’t I have the right to die in peace? I want justice against the people who are helping these Awami League fascists who are manipulating lawsuits.
Even though the situation is serious and the accused clearly can’t do anything, local government and law enforcement have reportedly stayed quiet. This raises concerns about the politicization of the legal system and the use of the justice system to silence dissent.
Rights activists and opposition leaders are furious about the case and are calling for an independent investigation into the claims and the immediate withdrawal of the false cases. They say this is another example of how political vendettas are being pursued by misusing the law, even against the sick and elderly.
As the pressure grows, people in civil society are asking the government to step in and make sure that justice is not only done, but also seen to be done.
