Police case reveals fugitive former MP Ranjit held secret meeting in Sylhet
A police case has revealed that Ranjit Chandra Sarkar, a former member of parliament for Sunamganj-1 who has been on the run since the July mass uprising, secretly held a meeting with party activists at a resort in the Ratargul area of Gowainghat, Sylhet.
Police filed a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act at Gowainghat Police Station on Wednesday in connection with the incident.
Ranjit Chandra Sarkar was the organising secretary of the Sylhet district unit of the Awami League, whose activities are currently banned. He has been in hiding since 5 August, 2024. There has been speculation in Sylhet's political circles that he left the country across the border nearly two years ago. His reported presence at a secret gathering has triggered discussions on social media about how he returned and managed to hold the meeting.
No senior official of Sylhet district police was willing to comment on Ranjit Chandra Sarkar's current whereabouts. However, he has been described as a fugitive in the case.
Although Ranjit Chandra Sarkar was the former MP for Sunamganj-1, which comprises Tahirpur, Jamalganj, Dharmapasha and Madhyanagar, the case says the meeting took place in Gowainghat, Sylhet.
Police have arrested 15 people in raids at different locations in Gowainghat on Wednesday and Thursday over allegations that the secret meeting was intended to destabilise the country.
The case names 20 people and accuses another 175 unidentified individuals. The accused are leaders and activists of the Awami League and its affiliated and associate organisations in Sylhet and Sunamganj, whose activities are banned.
Ranjit Chandra Sarkar has been named as the fifth accused in the case filed by Gowainghat Police Station Sub-Inspector Naimul Islam.
Other named accused include Faruk Ahmed, general secretary of the banned Awami League's East Alirgaon union unit in Gowainghat; Ali Hossain, a member of the banned Jubo League's East Jaflong union unit; and Ekhlasur Rahman, also known as Tara Mia, organising secretary of the banned Awami League's Tahirpur upazila unit.
According to the first information report (FIR), leaders and activists of the banned Chhatra League, the Awami League and its affiliated and associate organisations held a secret meeting at Sohel Square Resort in the Ratargul area of Gowainghat on 8 November.
Police said they had learned that the meeting was held with the intention of creating instability in the country and bringing down the government. At around 1:50am on Thursday, police raided the resort and collected evidence.
According to the FIR, police arrested two people who had attended the secret meeting during the raid. Police subsequently gathered details about the meeting by analysing information provided by the two detainees and the evidence collected from the resort. The identities of the other accused were established based on their statements and police investigations.
Police also seized a banner from the resort, seven empty liquor bottles and 40 metal objects resembling airgun pellets. Ranjit Sarkar's name was mentioned as the chief guest on the seized banner.
According to police, leaders and activists of the banned Awami League and its affiliated and associate organisations held the secret meeting at the resort at 8pm on 8 November. Former MP Ranjit Chandra Sarkar attended as the chief guest and addressed the gathering.
Police alleged that the participants decided to set fire to and vandalise roads and government offices in different parts of Gowainghat upazila and carry out other acts of violence. A case was subsequently filed over the incident.
Among those arrested are Imran Ahmed, joint general secretary of the banned Chhatra League's Gowainghat Government College unit; Amir Uddin, vice-president of its upazila unit; Manzur Ahmed, organising secretary of the upazila unit; Shaheen Ahmed, general secretary of the banned upazila unit of the Sramik League; Abdul Karim, general secretary of a ward unit of the banned Awami League in Gowainghat; Faruk Ahmed, a member of the banned Jubo League's West Jaflong union unit; and Mostak Ahmed, vice-president of the banned upazila unit of the Tanti League.
Contacted by Prothom Alo, Gowainghat Police Station Officer-in-Charge Omar Faruk said police had arrested 15 people over the secret meeting, including the two detained at the resort.
“During interrogation, we learned that former MP Ranjit Chandra Sarkar of the banned Awami League addressed the meeting. Our operations to arrest him and the other accused are continuing,” he said.
The arrested individuals have been sent to jail through the court. The resort has also been temporarily sealed.