Dhaka, May 29: Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has expressed deep concern over the deaths of several Awami League leaders and activists across Bangladesh. She accused the current Bangladesh National Party (BNP) government of perpetuating a cycle of violence that began under the leadership of former interim Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus.
Hasina stated that the situation reflects a serious deficiency in the rule of law in the country, with a troubling pattern of political violence continuing unabated.
Her remarks followed the death of 78-year-old Mohammad Dabirul Islam, who passed away Thursday afternoon at Square Hospital in Dhaka. A seasoned freedom fighter and former Awami League MP, he died three months after being granted bail due to his deteriorating health.
Islam was detained following political changes after the protests in July 2024, and he was arrested on October 3, 2024, in connection with an alleged extortion case registered at the Baliadangi police station. He was granted bail on February 19 due to his poor health.
Expressing her sorrow over Islam’s death, Hasina noted that he too had fallen victim to the alleged atrocities of the former interim government.
In a post on the Awami League’s social media platform ‘X’, Hasina stated, “After severe physical and mental torture, his condition worsened, leading to his bail on February 19. However, his son, former MP Mazharul Islam Sujan, remains entangled in false cases. The differing outcomes for two individuals in the same case raise many questions.”
She emphasized that this was not a natural death but rather a planned murder, similar to the fate of many leaders and activists under Muhammad Yunus’s government. She pointed out that the current administration continues this trend, showing no accountability towards the rule of law.
Hasina’s comments come in the wake of another senior Awami League leader and former MP, Ramesh Chandra Sen, who recently passed away. Sen, an MP from the Thakurgaon-1 constituency, fell ill while in police custody at Dinajpur District Jail and died on February 7.
Hasina questioned whether the deaths of two significant and respected leaders from the same district were mere coincidences or part of a series of orchestrated events, calling for an investigation into the matter.
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