Bangladesh Muktijuddho Mancha on Saturday issued a 48-hour ultimatum for arrest of Jatiya Sangsad Whip Shamsul Haque Chowdhury and his son Nazmul Karim Chowdhury Sharun for threatening to kill freedom fighter and Awami League leader Samsuddin Ahmed.
The organisation also demanded expulsion of Awami League lawmaker Shamsul Haque Chowdhury from the ruling party and declaration of the vacancy of his parliamentary seat.
The demands came from a human chain and a protest rally held in front of the Raju Memorial Sculpture at TSC in the capital.
Bangladesh Muktijuddho Mancha organised the programmes in protest against the death threat by Whip Shamsul Haque, a lawmaker from Chattogram 12 constituency, against Samsuddin Ahmed for protesting his corruption and misrule.
They also demanded that an exemplary punishment should be given to Shamsul Haque Chowdhury.
“If our demands are not met within 48 hours, we will go for a tougher movement, including a long march, and submit a memorandum to the Jatiya Sangsad Speaker and the Prime Minister,” said Md Al Mamun, general secretary of Bangladesh Muktijuddho Mancha.
Samsuddin Ahmed, 80, commander of Patiya unit freedom fighters’ council and former upazila president of Awami League, came under attack by the whip as he raised his voice against the misdeeds of the Whip, his brother and son, he said.
He said the heroic freedom fighter, Samsuddin Ahmed, broke down in tears after being humiliated in this way. The Whip and his family members continued to torture the AL leader and common people in this manner.
“By threatening to kill one of the heroic freedom fighters, it is proved that Whip Shamsul Haque Chowdhury never believes in the spirit of the liberation war. He has been trying to implement the agenda of the Anti-liberation forces.” “Whip Shamsul Haque Chowdhury is not an Awami League man. He used to join Juba Dal and later Jatiya Party. From there, he changed his name by joining Chattogram South Awami League politics overnight,” said the general secretary of Bangladesh Muktijuddho Mancha.Whip’s brother Mohammad Ali Nawab has threatened to take off a heroic freedom fighter’s lungi and walk around in public. At the end of his life, a heroic freedom fighter in Bangabandhu’s Bangladesh will have to be humiliated in this way, but Bangladesh Muktijuddho Mancha will never tolerate it.
The whole family of heroic freedom fighter Samsuddin Ahmed is now feeling insecurity. His family members cannot go out home in fear of the threat of terrorist forces.
Bangladesh Muktijuddho Mancha President Aminul Islam Bulbul said during the anti-casino campaign in 2019, Whip Shamsul Haque Chowdhury broke his oath by making statements against the country’s customary law and the constitution.
He has lost his moral credentials as a Member of Parliament. Shamsul-Sharun Gang, an infiltrator who has taken a place in the Awami League, has been making a concerted effort to undermine the achievements of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina through controversial activities one after another, he said.
He said Whip Shamsul Haque, a new hybrid leader from the BNP and later from the Jatiya Party, spoke in support of casinos and gambling, proving that he was against the state's decision. He disobeyed state orders by supporting illegal casinos.
Sharun Chowdhury threatened to kill Didarul Alam, a heroic freedom fighter and senior Awami League leader, over phone to protest against the casino misdeeds. But the trial of Sharun has not been done in that case till today.
Despite widespread criticism and repeated demands, casino supporter Whip Shamsul Haque Chowdhury and Sharun Chowdhury are not arrested, he added.
He said no legal action has been taken against Sharun Chowdhury despite allegations of threatening to kill veteran Awami League leader Didarul Alam, displaying illegal weapons through social media, and inciting a bank official to commit suicide in Chattogram. Sharun is still out of jail. To date, law enforcement agencies have not taken any drastic action against him which is never desirable.
“How did Whip Shamsul Haque Chowdhury and his son Sharun dare to threaten to kill a heroic freedom fighter? Where is the source of their power? Are they stronger than the state? Demand to Prime Minister, immediately expel Whip Shamsul Haque Chowdhury from Awami League.”
“Why is he not being removed from the Parliament even after repeatedly breaking his oath? Judging by the past misdeeds of Whip and his son, another heroic freedom fighter would not have received death threats today,” he added.
Talented artist Bhaskar Rasha, who is also the advisor of Bangladesh Muktijuddho Mancha, said, “Whip Shamsul Haque Chowdhury and his son Sharun Chowdhury should be immediately arrested and brought to justice for threatening to kill heroic freedom fighter Samsuddin Ahmed and heroic freedom fighter Didarul Alam.
Shamsul Haque should be expelled from the post of Awami League and removed from the Jatiya Sangsad, otherwise
Bangladesh Muktijuddho Mancha will carry out tougher programmes across the country, he added.
