Union Parishad Chairman Detained Following ‘Devil’ Accusations

A volatile situation erupted in the Zakiganj Upazila of Sylhet on Thursday as a local student leader, identifying himself as a “coordinator” of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, forcibly detained a Union Parishad Chairman. The incident, which saw Abdus Shahid, the Acting Chairman of Manikpur Union, labelled a “devil” and handed over to the police, triggered a retaliatory blockade by angry residents who besieged the accuser within the Upazila headquarters.

The Accusation and Sudden Detention

The confrontation occurred following an emergency meeting of local representatives at the Upazila Nirbahi Officer’s (UNO) office. According to eyewitnesses and video footage, Jafar Ahmed, a local leader of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (the student wing of the BNP), confronted Shahid as he was leaving the meeting.

Ahmed accused Shahid of being an influential figure within the Awami League, repeatedly branding him a “devil” in front of officials. Claiming to possess incriminating evidence of Shahid’s involvement in past political violence, Ahmed and a group of youths detained the Chairman and escorted him to Zakiganj Police Station.

Public Backlash and Besieged Coordinator

As news of the Chairman’s detention spread through Manikpur Union, hundreds of residents descended upon the Upazila Parishad building on Wednesday evening. The mob, convinced of Shahid’s innocence, surrounded Jafar Ahmed and his associates, effectively trapping them inside the government complex for several hours.

The standoff required significant police intervention. Abdur Razzaq, the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Zakiganj Police Station, confirmed that a police contingent was dispatched late at night to rescue Ahmed and de-escalate the gathered crowd.

Conflicting Political Profiles

The primary point of contention lies in Abdus Shahid’s political affiliation. While Jafar Ahmed insists Shahid is an Awami League operative, local neutral bodies and religious leaders have disputed this claim. Abidur Rahman, President of the Upazila Yuva Jamaat, defended the Chairman, stating, “I can say with the utmost responsibility that Abdus Shahid is not involved with the Awami League at any level, nor is he a named accused in any existing police cases.”

Profile Comparison of Key Figures:

Legal Ambiguity and Police Statement

The Zakiganj OC clarified that while Jafar Ahmed is the plaintiff in a major case filed on 7 September 2024—naming 107 individuals for attacks on protesters during the July Revolution—Abdus Shahid’s name does not appear in that ledger. “The Manikpur Chairman is not an accused in that case, and our preliminary investigation has yielded no evidence against him,” the OC stated.

Despite the lack of a formal warrant, police were forced to present Shahid before the court on Thursday morning under Section 51 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, citing the fact that he was “handed over” to them by a group of citizens. The court will now decide if there is sufficient merit to continue the detention or if the Chairman was the victim of a politically motivated “citizen’s arrest.”