Police have arrested five individuals in connection with the harassment of a freedom fighter in Chauddagram, Comilla.
The arrests were made between Monday night and Tuesday morning from various locations in the upazila.
The detained individuals were presented before the court on Tuesday afternoon.
The matter was confirmed through a press release by Chauddagram police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) ATM Akhtar Uz Zaman on Tuesday evening.
The arrested individuals are Ismail Hossain Majumder, 43, son of Abdul Haq Majumder from Kuliyara village in Chauddagram; Md Jamal Uddin Majumder, 58, son of Sultan Ahmed Majumder from the same area; Elias Bhuiyan, 58, son of Eshak Bhuiyan; Abul Kalam Azad, 48, son of Siddiqur Rahman from Raykot area in Nangalkot; and Imtiaz Abdullah Sajjad, 19, son of Zakir Hossain from Moishadi area in Chandpur Sadar.
However, no case has yet been filed against them.
When asked how they were sent to court without a case, OC Akhtar said they were sent under Section 54 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
He further said that freedom fighter Abdul Hai Kanu expressed his intention to file a case since Monday night.
If he proceeds, the accused will face legal action; otherwise, the court will handle the matter.
According to the press release, the suspects were identified and arrested after reviewing video footage of the incident.
The detainees claimed that there had been a long-standing social dispute between freedom fighter Abdul Hai Kanu, 78, and Abul Hashem Majumder, 45, son of Abdul Bari Majumder from the same area.
In 2008, during the election for the managing committee of Kuliyara High School, Kanu reportedly assaulted and publicly humiliated Abdul Halim, the elder brother of Abul Hashem, by dragging him by his collar and throwing him into water at the school’s polling center.
Abdul Halim has since passed away.
Allegedly seeking revenge for this humiliation, Abul Hashem detained Kanu at Patda Bazaar and brought him to the field of Kuliyara Government Primary School.
In the presence of locals at the school ground, Abul Hashem asked the gathered people what punishment should be given to Kanu.
Among those present, Noyon suggested that Kanu apologize publicly to the villagers and leave the area.
He was even told to leave the district of Comilla. When Kanu requested to return home, they reportedly prevented him from doing so.
Police said that despite multiple attempts to communicate with freedom fighter Kanu regarding the incident, he was unwilling to share details or make any formal complaints.
The victim also refused to disclose any information about the accused individuals, despite assurances of legal support.
The press release further mentioned that Kanu himself has faced multiple cases, including those related to murder, ICT violations, assault, and political disputes, for which he has served time in jail.
Nonetheless, legal proceedings regarding the harassment incident are underway.
Efforts to identify and arrest other individuals involved, based on the video footage, are ongoing.
On Sunday morning, freedom fighter Abdul Hai Kanu went to a market in Chauddagram.
Local individuals reportedly detained him and took him to the front of Kuliyara Primary School, where they placed a garland of shoes around his neck and subjected him to physical and mental abuse.
Following the incident, Kanu has gone into hiding, along with the individuals involved.
A video of the incident has gone viral on social media.