Former Supreme Court's Appellate Division judge AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik was assaulted by a human trafficking ring within the Indian border, where his cash, mobile phone, and both British and Bangladeshi passports were seized.
The trafficking ring involved a boatman who had previously transported him for Tk15,000. A video of the former judge being detained has circulated on social media, showing him visibly distressed.
In the early morning of Saturday, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) handed over the former judge to the Kanaighat police station.
Later, around 11:30am, he was brought to court under strict security.
Kanaighat police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Jahangir Hossain Sardar said that the former judge was handed over to the police by the BGB without any initial case. He was subsequently detained under Section 54 and presented in court for further legal proceedings.
In the released video, he pleads: "I will give you the money. My siblings won’t give it, I will give it to you."
He also expressed frustration about his plight, said: "I came to this country (India) with so much suffering, not to be sent back to Bangladesh."
Another video of BGB questioning shows the former judge with a cloth around his neck, indicating he was restrained. When asked where he was from, he replied: "Munshiganj," and identified himself as Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik.
When asked why he was fleeing India, he said: "I am running away out of fear, specifically from the administration."
He revealed that he had a British passport, a Bangladeshi passport, cash, and several debit and credit cards.
He mentioned he had Tk40,000 with him at the time of his arrest.
He also said that the traffickers had taken Tk60,000 to 70,000 from him. He had no contact information for the traffickers as they had taken his phone and number.
Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik is a highly controversial figure in Bangladesh. During his tenure as a judge in the Supreme Court Appellate Division, his activities were frequently discussed.
Even after his retirement in 2015, he remained a topic of controversy. He had unresolved judgments in 161 cases, leading to a dispute with then chief justice SK Sinha.
He was involved in several controversial judgments in favor of the ruling party and made inappropriate comments about students during the recent quota reform movement.
He had dual citizenship during his tenure as a Supreme Court justice, which is a violation of the law. Additionally, there are allegations against him of abusing power, money laundering, and other legal and ethical breaches.
Most recently, he went viral on social media after insulting a talk show host, referring to her as a "child of a Rajakar". He was served a legal notice in this regard and later issued an apology.