Police have arrested Shamsur Rahman Tipu, 62, a maternal cousin of former Bangladesh Road Transport and Bridges Minister and Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader, along with Tipu’s son, Shihabur Rahman Shihab, 32, during an operation in Companiganj, Noakhali.
The arrests were made on Thursday (12 November) afternoon at the residence of Moulvi Amin Ullah Khan Saheb in the Hospital Gate area of Ward No. 8 of Basurhat Municipality.
According to police, Shamsur Rahman Tipu is the son of Ekramul Haque, Obaidul Quader’s maternal uncle. Tipu served as president of the Awami League’s Ward No. 8 unit in Basurhat Municipality. His son, Shihabur Rahman Shihab, held the position of general secretary of the Basurhat municipal unit of the Swechchhasebak League, the Awami League’s volunteer wing.
Police and local residents said the father and son had been staying at their family home since the fall of the Awami League government on 5 August 2024. Acting on confidential information, law enforcement officers established their whereabouts before launching an operation at the residence on Thursday afternoon.
The police subsequently detained both men and took them to Companiganj Police Station for further legal proceedings.
Confirming the arrests, Companiganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Habibur Rahman said the two would be shown arrested under the Anti-Terrorism Act and produced before a court.
The arrests come amid continued law enforcement operations involving individuals associated with the Awami League and its affiliated organisations following the political changeover in August 2024. The party’s political activities have faced significant restrictions since the change of government, while police operations and legal proceedings involving its leaders and activists have continued in different parts of the country.
Tipu’s position in the local Awami League organisation and his son’s involvement with the municipal Swechchhasebak League unit have drawn attention to their political backgrounds following the arrests.
However, police did not provide further details about the specific allegations against the two men or disclose whether they were linked to any particular incident. Their formal charges and the next steps in the legal process are expected to become clearer after they are presented before the court.
