Wife claims DB tortured Apu 'inhumanely', BNP leader Ishraque forced him to record confession video

Kazi Anisha, wife of former joint convener of the Bangladesh Gonotantrik Chhatra Sangsad Jane Alam Apu, has alleged that her husband was "abducted" and subjected to "horrific physical torture" to extract a "forced false confession" under the leadership of BNP leader Ishraque Hossain.

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At a press conference at the National Museum in Shahbagh this morning (14 August), she claimed that Apu was "missing" from around 11:30pm on 31 July until 7:30am on 1 August.

"He was taken away by men on two bikes. The 35-minute video that was released yesterday [13 August] was edited while he was in their custody," she said, adding that Apu was actually arrested at 7:30am from Gopibagh, but his arrest was officially recorded at 11:30am.

Anisha alleged that during the four-hour period between his alleged abduction and official arrest, Apu was "inhumanely tortured." She further claimed that the Detective Branch (DB) of police did not provide any information about Apu, who is also a former co-coordinator of the Students Against Discrimination.

After the media learned of the arrest around 11:30am, Apu was allegedly taken around different areas of Dhaka until midnight, she said. "They did not produce him in court within 24 hours."

Regarding BNP leader Ishraque's involvement, Anisha claimed Apu was held captive and his confession recorded at Ishraque's house in Gopibagh, where he was arrested. "Some pictures are circulating, and they are from Ishraque's house. There is no doubt here. Ishraque forced Apu to do these things," she alleged.

She further claimed, "Ishraque may have offered legal help in exchange for naming either Adviser Asif or Nahid as the one who made Apu extort money."

Anisha told reporters that Apu gave a statement under Section 164 after his four-day remand on 6 August, but he did not name any individuals. He was produced in court after 3:00pm on 2 August.

"Apu's lawyer said he is a 'wounded warrior' of the July Uprising. He is still undergoing treatment at the National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital, as he has a brain injury. We submitted his medical papers and requested that he not be remanded," she added.

She questioned, "Who made him an extortionist?" noting that "he has no prior record of extortion." "He is a simple, helpless boy," she pleaded.

She claimed the entire incident was a plan to suppress the coordinators and leaders of the National Citizen Party (NCP). "A vested group is after them [NCP] for greater self-interest. Apu was framed for this. He was lured to that house [Awami League lawmaker Shammi Ahmed's house]," she said.

"I would say Apu has become a victim of a media trial. He was taken on a four-day remand to get a name out of him," she asserted, claiming, "During the remand, he was blackmailed by being threatened with having his name included in the case of the murder of two thousand policemen. They also threatened to blackmail him with personal photos and videos of us together. Anyone would agree to confess to anything in this manner."

Responses to the claims

BNP leader Ishraque Hossain could not be reached for comments on the claims at the time of filing this report.

Contacted, his personal secretary Ariful Islam said Ishraque has contracted chikungunya and that he has been advised to rest for a few days. "For now, he is not speaking to anyone."

Also contacted was the investigating officer of the case, Gulshan Police Station Inspector (Investigation) Mokhlesur Rahman, who told TBS that the claim that under the leadership of BNP leader Ishraque, the accused Apu was abducted or forced to give a false confessional statement is completely untrue. 

"I have absolutely no knowledge of such a thing. He was not arrested on anyone's orders. I also have no knowledge of what Apu's wife said at the press conference. I only heard such allegations in the media."

He further said, "Under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, before recording a confessional statement from the accused, the magistrate gives them three hours. There is nothing as such in that stage to compel the accused. 

"The accused gives the statement knowingly. After an accused gives a statement, many people claim the police forcibly recorded it but the reality is entirely the opposite."

Apu's confessional statement

The family's press conference was called to protest Apu's alleged abduction and torture following the release of a confession video on social media. In the 35-minute video, Apu gives a "detailed account" of the events related to an alleged extortion case at the residence of former MP Shammi Ahmed in Gulshan.

In the footage, Apu admits, "In the Gulshan extortion case, the person you saw collecting the bag of money was me. From your footage, you have seen that the coordinators were involved in the extortion."

He then raises several questions, stating that before the raid on Shammi's house, he had spoken with Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyain in Gulshan.

He questioned why this information was missing from media reports, why the early morning raid was suppressed, and why there was no mention of law enforcement's presence during the operation. He also claimed that Shammi escaped after being tipped off.

Apu further challenged those who released the two-and-a-half-minute clip to release the full CCTV footage from the previous night, stating, "Let's see who was calling and whose phone was used for Shammi to leave the house."

Apu was arrested by the Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Police (DB) from the Wari area on 1 August. Based on information provided by him, police later recovered a Yamaha FZ-X motorcycle, allegedly purchased with Tk3.07 lakh of extortion money, from a residence in Mohammadpur.