Cumilla Freedom fighter says house attacked by men who made him wear garland of shoes last year

The house of Freedom Fighter Abdul Hai Kanu, who was humiliated and attacked last December by a group of men, came under attack just after Thursday midnight.

The freedom fighter, who in December alleged that members of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the Islami Chhatra Shibir beat him up and forced him to wear a garland of shoes, alleged that the same men were also behind last night's attack at his residence in the Ludiara village at Batisha union under Chauddagram upazila of Cumilla.

The attack took place at around 1:00am on Friday (4 April). Kanu, his wife, daughter-in-law, and his grandchildren were present at the house during the attack.

Speaking to The Business Standard, he said, "A group of miscreants, including those who had put a garland of shoes around my neck, carried out a surprise terrorist attack on my house on Thursday night."

"The attackers were armed with various local weapons, including machetes and Chinese axes. They hacked at the gate, doors and windows of the house. If they had been able to enter the house, they would have killed me," he added. 

Golam Mostafa Bhuiyan, Kanu's son and general secretary of the Batisa Union Jubo League, alleged that last night's attacks were carried out as his family refused to withdraw a case filed over the attack on the freedom fighter in late December.

"It has been almost three and a half months since the incident. Although a case has been filed against those who humiliated and beat my father, the main perpetrators of the incident and the accused have not been arrested yet. The accused are roaming freely in the area," he said.

Mostofa also said Kanu had been living in Feni since the attack in December. 

"He returned home with other family members to celebrate the Eid-ul-Fitr after assurances [from local administration]."

Meanwhile, speaking to Prothom Alo, Mostofa said 30-35 men carried out last night's attack. He alleged that Abul Hashem Majumder, the main accused in the case of putting a garland of shoes on his father, locals Salauddin, Atiq, Russell, Peyar Ahmed, Abdul Qayyum, Arifur Rahman and some others led and fueled the attack.

On 23 December 2024, Kanu was attacked, humiliated and threatened to leave Cumilla while he went out to buy medicine.

Kanu, at the time, alleged that Abul Hashem Majumder and Wahid Majumder, who are involved with Jamaat politics, led the attack. Police later arrested five locals over the incident, but Hashem and Wahid remained out of their hands.

Accused Abul Hashem Majumder and others have been hiding since last night's incident. They could not be reached over the phone.

Meanwhile, Chauddagram Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Hilal Uddin Ahmed said, "We immediately went to the scene after receiving information about the attack on the house of the heroic freedom fighter at night. Sensing the presence of the police, the miscreants fled."

He, however, said, "We learned that the house was attacked on the basis of information that the son of the heroic freedom fighter, a Jubo League leader, was staying there.

"The miscreants vandalised the gate and doors, and windows of the freedom fighter's house, but could not enter it. The police reached the scene before this. Efforts are underway to identify and arrest the people involved in the incident."