5 Awami League leaders are responsible for Sheikh Hasina becoming a dictator and a fascist. They are Awami League general secretary and former bridge minister Obaidul Quader, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak, former state minister for information technology Junaid Ahmed Palak and former state minister for information Mohammad Ali Arafat. The leaders gave this information to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DB) during remand interrogation after their arrest on August 5. After the arrest, several Awami League leaders, former ministers-state ministers and former officials of law and order forces have been remanded. They have already been sent to jail after being remanded in DB custody in various cases. Sources related to DB confirmed the matter on Sunday.
Citing the information received from the arrested, DB sources said that many of the arrested said that they have repeatedly warned Sheikh Hasina and others. He said, what is happening is not going well. But they did not listen to any advice. Sheikh Hasina was single. According to DB, Palak has denied the allegations made by others against Junaid Ahmed Palak while in DB custody. Palak told DB that he wanted to resign as the situation worsened. Other leaders including Sheikh Hasina did not allow him to resign. Awami League leader Jahangir Kabir Nanak abused him. He said that if someone resigns from the cabinet at this moment, the pressure on the government will increase. Obaidul Quader physically assaulted him. Palak was insulted in front of Sheikh Hasina but she (Hasina) did not take any role. On the contrary, his position was in favor of Nanak-Kaders.
Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s adviser Salman F Rahman told DB that a dire situation is created in the country for 5-6 leaders. And Sheikh Hasina herself is responsible for this result. Salman also said, ‘Since I am a businessman, I used to have more meetings with businessmen. From those meetings, they pressed to keep the situation of the country stable. I informed the then Prime Minister about that pressure. But he didn’t care. He did not keep me in the closed-door meetings. When asked about Obaidul Quader’s ‘order to fire on sight’ on the day curfew was announced, he said, legally there is no opportunity to say this. He himself can explain why he said such things. When asked about the US connection, he told DB, ‘I had no special connection with the US. They have invested a lot in our country. But could not take the money. Because of this, they used to knock me sometimes.
When asked why people from the United States repeatedly came to meet with you, Salman F. Rahman told the concerned officer of the DB that the meetings were mainly about economic matters. Due to various reasons including dollar crisis, I could not give profit to US investors. I did not talk about political issues with them. When asked what Salman F Rahman said about the money laundering, related sources of DB said that although he accepted some responsibility, Sheikh Hasina put the entire responsibility on the family members and some members of the cabinet. Some remanded accused said that Sheikh Hasina knew everything.
Former Law Minister Anisul Haque claimed to be innocent and said, ‘Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and some members of her cabinet are responsible for everything. I sometimes explained to him various legal matters. But he would listen with one ear and let it out with the other. He was always steadfast in his decisions.
When asked what information the two arrested former IGPs gave on remand, related sources of the DB said, former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun said, ‘I am a victim of the situation. I did not want to fire, everything I did was done on the instructions of the Prime Minister. It was on his orders that the students were fired upon. Since I was the IGP at the time of the incident, I cannot escape responsibility. For this reason I accept fate, what will be will be – with this in mind I decide to surrender. Later I was given to the police from army custody.
In the questioning of DB police, former IGP AKM Shahidul Haque said, I retired long ago. Since then I have been inactive. Why am I being involved in this? The concerned officer of DB said, “AKM Shahidul Haque has made rude comments on several occasions. Basically, he has been questioned in detail about these issues.
