A conspiracy by the Awami League to rehabilitate its fugitive leader Sheikh Hasina, currently in India, has come to light. Recently, secret training sessions for Awami League cadres were conducted in Dhaka with the aim of undermining the present interim government.
The coordination of these activities was led by a Major of the Bangladesh Army. Sources reveal that the principal conspirators are Major Sadekul Haque Sadek and his wife, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sumaiya Jafrin, both of whom were absent from their official duties without notice for 150 days.
Major Sadek has since been arrested and taken into custody by the army. To ensure a fair and impartial investigation, a military inquiry tribunal has been formed. Preliminary investigations have confirmed the validity of the allegations against him, according to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
ISPR also announced that a separate inquiry tribunal has been set up regarding Major Sadek’s unexplained 150-day absence from his post. Appropriate actions will be taken based on evidence once the full investigation concludes.
Meanwhile, public questions arise as to where Major Sadek was during these 150 days without leave.
Investigations show that Major Sadek was posted at the Ramu Cantonment in Cox’s Bazar under the supervision of Lieutenant Colonel Mustafiz Ferdous of the 36 Bengal Regiment.
However, his commanding officer was unaware of his extended absence. Likewise, his wife ASP Sumaiya Jafrin, serving in the Bangladesh Police, was also absent without notice for 150 days.
Intelligence reports indicate that during their absence, Sadek and Sumaiya maintained contact with Sheikh Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and arranged training for Awami League cadres. This conspiracy to bring Sheikh Hasina back to the country involves various Awami League leaders and former police officials residing in Kolkata.
Among those allegedly overseeing the plot is former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal. Assisting him are former Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Habibur Rahman, former Additional Inspector General of Police and ex-chief of the Special Branch Monirul Islam, and fugitive former DGFI chief Lieutenant General Mujibur Rahman.
ISPR Statement
The Inter-Services Public Relations on Friday (August 1), issued a statement regarding Major Sadek’s arrest.
The statement said that recently a law enforcement agency submitted allegations of political involvement against an army officer. Upon receiving the complaint, the Bangladesh Army took the matter with utmost seriousness and arrested the officer from his residence in Uttara on July 17. The officer was taken into army custody.
The ISPR further said that a military inquiry tribunal has been formed to conduct a fair and unbiased investigation. The preliminary inquiry has found the allegations to be true. Upon completion of the full investigation, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken under military law. Coordination with Bangladesh Police and other law enforcement agencies is ongoing.
Additionally, another inquiry tribunal has been established to probe Major Sadek’s unauthorized absence from duty. Based on the tribunal’s recommendations, necessary legal steps will be taken under army law.
Awami League cadres receive repeated training for sabotage
According to sources, on July 8, a convention centre in the Vatara police station area of Dhaka was rented for 40,000 takas under the guise of a workshop. Around 400 cadres from Awami League, its affiliate organisations, and its student wing, Chhatra League, received training there from morning till evening. Participants were provided tokens two days prior in a meeting held at Mirpur’s DOHS; they had to show these tokens to enter the training.
Law enforcement agencies have so far arrested 22 people linked to this incident. Among them are Barguna’s Jubo League leader Sohel Rana and Gopalganj Awami League leader Shamima Nasrin Shompa, both apprehended from residences in Uttara West Thana area on July 12 by Vatara police. Shamima Shompa’s husband is a senior official at the Directorate General of Health Services. Additionally, Meherpur’s Jubo League convener Mahfuzur Rahman Riton has also been arrested. These three face allegations of facilitating the training sessions.
Information also reveals three other trainings held in Dhaka—in East Aurachal’s C-Cell Resort, Katabon, and Mirpur—where Awami League cadres received training in armed and virtual combat. The conspirators planned to gather three to four hundred thousand activists in Dhaka to seize the airport and Shahbagh, aiming to overthrow the interim government.
Following the arrests of Sohel Rana and Shamima Nasrin Shompa, interrogations during remand revealed Major Sadekul Haque Sadek’s involvement as the chief coordinator of these trainings. His wife, ASP Sumaiya Jafrin, is also implicated in this blueprint.
Police probing ‘conspiratorial’ meeting
After news of the secret meeting surfaced, it sparked nationwide uproar. Police say they are conducting a thorough investigation to uncover the mystery behind the Awami League cadres’ ‘conspiratorial’ meeting and to identify all involved.
At a press conference on Friday afternoon at the DMP Media Centre on Minto Road, Deputy Commissioner of Media and Public Relations Muhammad Talebur Rahman said, “We are investigating the matter with utmost seriousness. We hope to soon reveal the actual secret behind this incident, whether there is any other aspect to it, and who is responsible. ”
Regarding social media discussions of ‘threats’ related to this meeting and the date August 8, Talebur Rahman said, “Over the past year, we have seen multiple attempts by various actors to disrupt law and order through planned activities. We remain vigilant.”
