The daughter of jailed BNP candidate for Comilla 10 constituency, former lawmaker Monirul Haque Chowdhury, made an emotional appeal for his release, saying that her father was sent to jail on ‘fictitious’ charges.
The cases were filed with a view to intentionally deter him (Monirul) from running for office in the elections, she said in an emotional outburst.
Dr. Chowdhury Saima Ferdous, daughter of Monirul and a teacher of Dhaka University, said this in a crowded press conference held at her ancestral home in Comilla’s Noagram village around 11:30am Monday.
Earlier on October 24, a Comilla court sent Monirul Haque Chowdhury to jail denying his bail petition in a case filed over the bus arson attack in Comilla on February 3, 2015.
Appealing to media as the last resort for help, Saima said she and her family do not know who to call or reach out to for her father’s release.
“My father, who is a freedom fighter, is suffering from various old age complications and facing a life threatening crisis in prison during the month of victory and we don’t know whom to call for justice,” she said.
Saima also said: “My father, in his 55-year long political carrier, never indulged himself in the politics of retaliation. He was an organizer of the great Liberation War of our country and fought for independence. And now as a citizen of an independent Bangladesh, he became a victim of political vengeance. After being accused in one after another false and fictitious case, he has been in jail since October 24.”
Saying her father is suffering from various critical diseases and might die in jail, she burst into tears: “From whom shall we seek justice now? Who will address our appeal?”
Earlier on Thursday, Monirul sent a letter to the district Returning Officer (RO) and the Comilla Deputy Commissioner (DC), threatening to go on a hunger strike till death in jail.
Monirul Haque Chowdhury’s lawyer, advocate Kazi Nazmus Sadat, and party leaders and activists were also present at the press conference.
