YouTuber Salman Muqtadir, whose studio was damaged in an attack and vandalism, has said he does not need any compensation. He can rebuild his life on his own. But the government must ensure the safety and security of every person in the country. Otherwise, the country will suffer greatly.
He made the remarks in a video message on Sunday afternoon in response to Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed’s comments about the attack on his studio. Addressing the home minister, Salman said he should “do something” to ensure the safety of people in the country if he could. There was no need to spread misleading information about him, he said.
Criticising the home minister’s remarks in the video message, Salman Muqtadir said he had waited at a police station until 4am after the attack on his studio last night to file a case, but the police did not take it. The home minister later said at a briefing in the afternoon that no case had been filed.
He also questioned why a case had not been filed until the video of the incident went viral and the home minister made his statement. He asked why he had been unable to file a case despite waiting at the police station with several people until 4am. Even after the case was eventually filed, he questioned why the information had not reached the home minister.
Addressing the home minister, Salman Muqtadir said, “With the enormous responsibility you have, when you said in your statement that a case had not been filed and that Salman Muqtadir had not filed a case, why did you make this ridiculous statement and make your entire department and government look so small?”
He said, “I was sitting at your police station with so many people until 4am last night, at the Cantonment police station. I returned home exhausted, at a time when I was not supposed to be in the right state of mind. Even then, no case was filed until this afternoon. Until things went viral and your statement came out, why was the case not filed even though I had gone there? This is a question I should be asking you. You have to answer the people of the country why a case was not filed under Salahuddin Ahmed.”
Asked when the case was filed, Cantonment police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Gias Uddin told Prothom Alo on Sunday night that the case was filed at 8:30am that day.
Salman Muqtadir also addressed the home minister’s claim at an afternoon briefing that no case had been filed. Addressing him, Salman said, “You are the home minister. Every police station, every authority and every administration is under your command, under one call, one button. You don’t even know that a case has been filed. You don’t have the update. How detached are you from the citizens of your country, from your own safety and security protocol? You are completely detached. You don’t know that a case has been filed.”
The home minister described Salman Muqtadir’s allegations of extortion against the BNP in connection with the incident as “broad-brush and controversial”. Criticising the minister’s remarks, Salman said, “Why did I mention BNP? Why did I mention extortion? The way you give that little smile, I feel like giving the same smile now. Look, I smile too, and you smile too. We are helpless in the same way. You can’t do anything, and I can’t do anything either. You are laughing it off, and I’m laughing it off too.”
Salman Muqtadir claimed that the three people detained from the scene last night were the ones who mentioned the BNP. In the video, he said, “Shots were fired from their guns. Evidence has been collected. Their machetes, shovels—all have been collected. I saw the videos on their phones. I saw their faces. They are admitting it. After being beaten by people and hearing what people were saying, they took the name of BNP.”
Criticising the home minister in this regard, Salman Muqtadir further said, “I have to maintain my sanity, maintain my composure, and then keep my speech in order. I cannot say anything against BNP or point a finger at them. I am very confused. Have you taken responsibility for BNP’s PR management crisis, or have you taken responsibility for the Home Ministry? I am very confused. Because the problem was safety and security.”
Addressing the home minister, Salman Muqtadir further said, “We are not here to ask you to investigate. We are here for action. You yourself said that I was making broad-brush allegations. Then you yourself said that someone from a military force was involved here. Okay, you investigated that person. Then what did you do? You came to the press briefing and gave no answer, took no action, and did nothing that could assure the people of Bangladesh of their security. Instead, you said, ‘Salman Muqtadir said this, the gentleman said that, he said this and that.’
Salman Muqtadir said, “Do something. We are not asking you for money. You don’t have to rebuild my studio. I, Salman Muqtadir, am strong enough. I will not beg anyone. … I don’t need anything. If you really want to do something, do something for Bangladesh.”
He said, “If, through this incident, you cannot ensure any kind of safety and security for people, if you cannot ensure the security of my fellow citizens, then that’s my loss.”