Faridpur Jubo League leader among two arrested by opposition activists over alleged arson plot
Photo Collected
Two men were taken into police custody in Faridpur on Monday night after local volunteers accused them of organizing a torchlight procession in support of the Awami League. The individuals, identified as 42-year-old businessman Khosru Alam Khan—described by his detractors as a joint general secretary of the city’s Jubo League—and 48-year-old fish trader Ananda Fakir, were apprehended in the Tepakhola fish market and Matia graveyard areas.
Shahriar Shithil, a member secretary of the district Jubo Dal, claimed credit for the operation, stating that he and his supporters tracked the men down after searching their mobile phones. Shithil later publicized the detentions on social media, labeling the men as key conspirators behind an alleged “arson-terrorism” plot and vowing to bring others involved in the recent political unrest to justice.
However, the account provided by local law enforcement contradicts the narrative of a partisan vigilante capture. Faridpur Kotwali Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md. Mahmudul Hasan stated that the men were turned over to police by local residents rather than a specific political entity. He noted that officers from the station were dispatched to take the individuals into formal custody once they were located.
The legal standing of the arrests remains complex. While the recent torchlight procession prompted no formal complaints from political parties or the public, the two men were already named in existing cases filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act. Following their detention, police processed them through these prior warrants, and they were sent to judicial custody by a court on Tuesday.
Defending his actions, Shithil maintained that his involvement did not violate the law. He asserted that the men were handed over respectfully without physical harm, characterizing his intervention as a moral duty to assist law enforcement in maintaining order in his community.
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