Maj Akhtaruzzaman arrested on ‘flimsy grounds’: Jamaat

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has alleged that its leader and retired Major Mohammad Akhtaruzzaman was arrested on “flimsy grounds.”

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Dr Shafiqur Rahman protested about the matter over Akhtaruzzaman was arrested from his residence in Dhaka’s Cantonment area on Friday evening.

In a post on his verified Facebook page, Dr Shafiq Rahman said, “If this harassment and arrest has been carried out to suppress the irregularities, passenger harassment and mismanagement at the airport, it is an ominous sign. The affected people will not accept this under any circumstances.”

Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar also protested the case and arrest and strongly demanded that the government release Akhtaruzzaman unconditionally.

In a statement, he said the authorities must conduct an impartial investigation into the difficulties faced by “freedom fighter Akhtaruzzaman and many other passengers” at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. 

He also called for identifying those responsible for passenger harassment and mismanagement and taking effective action against them.

Akhtaruzzaman was arrested about 15 hours after a case was filed against him over allegations of threatening the airport’s executive director and assaulting a security supervisor.

Jamaat Central Executive Committee Member and Dhaka North city unit Ameer Mohammad Selim Uddin said in a statement that filing a case and hurriedly detaining a renowned freedom fighter over a “minor and flimsy pretext” was concerning. The statement alleged that VIPs and MPs had to wait in long queues due to mismanagement by airport authorities. It said Akhtaruzzaman, a veteran parliamentarian and freedom fighter, had spoken out against negligence in airport services and was subsequently subjected to the case.

“Instead of apologising for the incident, filing a case against a freedom fighter over a minor argument and hurriedly detaining him cannot be considered responsible conduct,” the statement said, calling for the immediate withdrawal of the case and his release.