Arrests at Sylhet Social Meet in 2007

23 AL men acquitted of sedition charges

14 September 2009, 17:00 PM

Staff Correspondent, Sylhet

A Sylhet court yesterday acquitted 23 Awami League men of sedition charges brought against them after their arrest at a social gathering by the joint forces during the caretaker rule in 2007. District and Sessions Judge Sylhet Md Momin Ullah passed the order as no 'substantial evidence' in support of the allegation brought against the accused was found in the final report submitted by the police on June 30 this year. The army-led joint forces detained 40 Awami League men, including some expatriate AL leaders and the city AL general secretary, at a house in Bateshwar area on the outskirts of the city on May 14, 2007 on charge of holding a political meeting there, violating the Emergency Powers Rules. The arrestees included AL UK unit Joint Secretary Shaifiqur Rahman Chowdhury (now lawmaker from Sylhet-2), City AL General Secretary Advocate Misbah Uddin Siraj (now PP, Sylhet) Organising Secretary Abdul Khalique, city Juba League President Syed Shamim, district BCL President Jaglu Chowdhury, AL Canada unit chief Sarwar Hossain, Juba League UK unit Joint Secretary Mojahid Ali Sohel, AL UK unit leaders Abu Sayeed Chowdhury, Md Faruque Chowdhury, Abul Quashem, Haji MA Rahim and Syed Sajedur Rahman Faruque, AL Canada unit leader Md Yahiya Ahmed, City Jubo League Joint Secretary Asaduzzaman, expatriates Ajoy Dev and Arun Udoy Paul, city BCL Convener Habibur Rahman Selim and AL leaders Nasir Uddin Khan, Sadruzzaman Prince, M Yousuf Ali, Shamsul Islam and Saiful Alam. Police filed a case against the arrestees the same day on charge of violation of Emergency Power Rules. After a few weeks, the arrestees were granted bail by the High Court. But, before their release, the home ministry issued detention order against them. On 26 August 2007, Sub-Inspector Abdul Hamid of Sylhet Kotwali Police Station filed a sedition case against 23 out of 40 AL men. They all, however, were released on bail in September 2007. Shiplu, nephew of Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury (Now lawmaker), bought the house in the Bateshwar area in early 2007. Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury hosted a lunch at the house on the occasion on May 14 where most of the local Awami Leauge leaders and several leaders of the party's UK and Canada units were present.