Barisal court investigates case against 248 Awami League figures despite inclusion of deceased individuals
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A legal complaint has been filed against 248 leaders and activists of the now-banned Awami League in Barishal, accusing them of staging road blockades, launching protest marches, and detonating crude bombs and petrol bombs. However, the integrity of the case has been immediately called into question after it was discovered that the list of accused includes four individuals who have been dead for years.
The case was filed on Thursday in the court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate S.M. Shariat Ullah by Marzuk Abdullah, a resident of the city’s Club Road area who identifies as a former coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. The complainant alleges that the accused individuals disrupted public order on June 10, June 16, and June 22 through violent demonstrations. Following the filing, the judge ordered a deputy commissioner-level officer of the Barishal Metropolitan Police to conduct an investigation and submit a formal report.
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The charges brought against the defendants include violations of laws regarding arms possession, explosives, and anti-terrorism, as well as accusations of issuing death threats. Among the high-profile figures named in the suit are former Barishal City Corporation Mayor and metropolitan Awami League general secretary Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah, former Member of Parliament Jebunnesa Afroz, and former district council chairman A.K.M. Jahangir. Several former ward-level party presidents and secretaries were also included in the list.
Discrepancies in the case documents have sparked accusations of a “frivolous lawsuit” by local political observers. Records confirm that the 212th accused, Khondokar Rezaur Rahman, passed away on January 22, 2022, yet the complaint alleges he participated in a bombing protest on June 10 of this year. Similarly, Abul Faruk Humayun, listed as the 198th accused, died in March 2023, while H.M. Hafizur Rashid and Mohammad Ali Howlader, who died in 2021, were also accused of active participation in the June disturbances. Furthermore, observers noted that former MP Jebunnesa Afroz has been incarcerated for an extended period, rendering the specific allegations against her chronologically impossible.
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Critics of the filing have labeled the complainant a “case trader,” alleging that he uses the threat of litigation as a tool for extortion. Former city councilor Rajib Hossain Khan stated that the inclusion of deceased individuals is proof that the case is baseless, noting that he personally attended the funeral prayers of those cited. These allegations of professional litigiousness are not new; in May 2024, Marzuk Abdullah faced similar accusations of extortion regarding a separate case involving senior Awami League leader Amir Hossain Amu. At that time, student movement leaders held a press conference to condemn the “case-for-profit” scheme, leading the local chapter of the movement to suspend his membership.
Attempts to reach the complainant for comment via phone and messaging applications were unsuccessful.
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