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Assault on a freedom fighter allegedly by supporters of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami at Chauddagram in Cumilla drew huge condemnation and criticism from the government, political parties and people across the country.

A group of people on Sunday assaulted freedom fighter Abdul Hai Kanu, also a former central member of Bangladesh Krishak League, farmer wing of the Awami League, by putting a garland of shoes around his neck and asking him to leave the area.

A video of the incident  went viral on social media on Sunday night.

The upazila Jamaat-e-Islami directly rejected the allegation that the accused were its supporters.

Chauddagram police station officer-in-charge ATM Akhter Uz Zaman said that they had been continuing their operation since Sunday night to arrest the accused but till 9:00pm on Monday no one was arrested.

‘The victim said that he would not file any case,’ he said, adding that earlier eight cases were filed against Abdul Hai on various charges including murder and extortion.

In a statement chief adviser’s deputy press secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder said, ‘We strongly condemn the defamation of freedom fighter Abdul Hai at Chauddagram on Sunday.’

‘The police and local administration have been asked to launch an investigation into the incident and bring the perpetrators to book,’ he said, adding that local police have said that Mr Hai is an accused in nine cases, including murder.

The statement added, ‘We ask all to refrain from taking the law into their own hands.’

The 78-year-old freedom fighter is a resident of Ludiara village in Batisa union of the upazila.

A one-minute-and-46-second video shows that on Sunday afternoon, 10 to 12 people including Ahid, Russell and Palash, led by Abul Hashem, a resident of the village, put a garland of shoes around the neck of Abdul Hai on the premises of Kuliyara Government Primary School.

In the video, people are heard saying, ‘You have tortured us a lot during the past 15 years when the Awami League government was in power, and you tortured, oppressed and harassed us by filing false cases and evicting us from our houses.’

At this time, Abdul Hai Kanu was seen raising his hands and apologising to them.

But the angry people said, ‘You cannot stay in the area. You have to leave Cumilla.’

Locals said that after this incident Abdul Hai went to his son Golam Mustafa Biplob’s house in the neighbouring town of Feni.

Abdul Hai’s wife Rehana Begum said that her husband was now staying at his son’s house and undergoing treatment there after being beaten.

Describing the incident, the freedom fighter said, on Sunday afternoon, he went to a pharmacy at Patdda Bazar near his house to buy medicine, when 10-12 people led by Abul Hashem forcibly took him to the school ground, put a garland of shoes around his neck and ordered him to leave the area immediately.

He said that during the Awami League regime he had a dispute with then lawmaker of Chauddagram and former railways minister Mazibul Haque because he protested at various injustices.

‘I could not come to my village house for more than 10 years and Awami League miscreants attacked, vandalised and looted my house several times,’ he said, adding, ‘I have been accused of several cases, including murder, and have served a long time in jail.’

Soon after the video went viral people on social media condemned the incident and demanded justice.

Upazila Muktijoddha assistant commander Babu Pramod Ranjan Chakraborty said that the incident was highly condemnable.

They would file a case in this regard, he added. 

Meanwhile, a protest letter, signed by Chauddagram Upazila Jamaat-e-Islami secretary Md Belal Hossain on Monday, read that some local mischievous circles were spreading propaganda involving Jamaat in the incident.

Those who insulted Abdul Hai are not from Jamaat or its affiliated organisations, it added.

In a press release, the Communist Party of Bangladesh leaders on Monday protested at the incident and demanded exemplary punishment for the perpetrators. 

They also urged the people to prevent attempts to make the War of Independence controversial.

In a separate press release, the Ganosamhati Andolan leaders on the day condemned the incident and demanded proper investigation into the incident and bringing those responsible to book.