Freedom Fighter Abdul Jalil Faces Political Persecution in Bogura

Photo: collected

Bogura and Dhaka:

Although the political landscape of Bangladesh has changed following the fall of the Awami League government, political vengeance continues at the grassroots level. Following an election held without the participation of one of the country’s major political parties, the Awami League, political violence has taken on a new dimension under the current Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government. In Bogura, widely known as a major political stronghold of the BNP, Awami League leaders, activists and supporters are reportedly facing severe insecurity. Homes belonging to freedom fighters and Awami League supporters have been vandalised and looted.

On May 23, the home of Abdul Jalil, a veteran freedom fighter who participated in the 1971 Liberation War and a longstanding supporter of the Awami League, was attacked at Gokul in Gokul Union Parishad area. The attackers allegedly vandalised the house and looted its contents. Due to severe mental distress and fears for their lives, Jalil and his wife have been compelled to remain abroad indefinitely.

According to an investigation, family sources and local residents, Abdul Jalil had long feared attacks on his life and property because of his longstanding support for progressive politics. In May 2025, those fears reportedly turned into a dangerous reality. His ancestral home in Bogura was specifically targeted in a violent attack and vandalism allegedly carried out by local political opponents. Fortunately, he and his wife were not present at the time and escaped physical harm. However, they consider the incident a serious warning against their lives and property. Jalil is currently staying in Australia. The insecurity and fear of losing his life have taken a heavy psychological toll on the elderly freedom fighter.

His only daughter, Jerin, said her father had been reluctant to spend an extended period abroad because of his advancing age and deep, lifelong attachment to his homeland. Hoping that the situation in Bangladesh would return to normal, Jalil and his wife had completed all preparations and plans to return to the country on August 20, 2025.

However, shortly before their planned return, he contacted people in his village to learn about the prevailing situation and received deeply alarming accounts. She said returning to his village at this stage would be extremely risky because of alleged ongoing violence and political retaliation by local ruling BNP cadres. He fears that upon returning to Bangladesh, he could face political persecution, torture, arrest in fabricated cases and even a possible mob attack that could cost him his life.

Family members and local residents said his concerns over personal safety had been further reinforced by the continued imprisonment of his relative, Aminul Islam, an Awami League leader who had been entrusted with overseeing Jalil’s property and official matters. Islam was allegedly implicated in false cases motivated by political considerations because of his involvement in Awami League politics and remains in custody. From prison, he has strongly advised Jalil not to return to Bangladesh at this time. As Islam is familiar with the local situation and Jalil’s political background, his warning has caused serious concern for the couple living abroad.

Since 2025, Abdul Jalil and his wife have been enduring severe psychological distress over the uncertainty surrounding their return to Bangladesh. Speaking to journalists, Jerin said, “My father and our family fear that he is widely known in the community for his longstanding support for the Awami League and his identity as a freedom fighter. His participation in the 1971 Liberation War has made his political background well known to the people of his village. Aminul Islam, an Awami League leader, was entrusted with looking after my father’s property in Bangladesh. His house was directly attacked in May 2025, and Aminul Islam was arrested and has remained in prison. Therefore, my father fears that BNP government supporters and activists are plotting to kill him if he returns to Bangladesh. We have been urged to prevent my father and mother from returning to the country.”

Expressing his anguish, Abdul Jalil said he believes he is being judged not on the basis of his present age but on his political identity and lifelong association with the Awami League. He said the direct attack on his home demonstrated that those opposed to his political ideology would not hesitate to target his property and life.

Local human rights activists and concerned citizens believe that, regardless of political changes, an attack on the home of a freedom fighter who took up arms for the country’s independence—and the fact that he has been forced to remain abroad in old age because of political fears—is deeply distressing and alarming. Fears of further attacks and threats to his safety have left Jalil in a state of severe psychological distress.

Following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in 2024, nearly two crore Awami League supporters, leaders, activists and their family members have been affected, according to claims cited in the report. Awami League President Sheikh Hasina has alleged that 10,000 party leaders and activists have been killed. Incidents of looting, vandalism and arson targeting the homes of Awami League supporters and activists have reportedly continued in Dhaka, the capital, and various districts across the country.

The historic residence of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Dhanmondi 32 was vandalised and destroyed. The report alleges that opponents of the spirit of the Liberation War have continued to target the homes of supporters of that spirit and freedom fighters across the country through looting, vandalism and arson.