Major (retd) Hafiz shown arrested in case involving 2 ex-army officers
Retired Army Major Khandakar Abdul Hafiz, 56, has been shown arrested in a case filed against two former army officers—Debashish Kumar Barua and Kazi Gulshan Ara—on charges of involvement in anti-government activities, fund collection, and promoting violent digital content.
Detective Branch (DB) police arrested Abdul Hafiz from the capital's Banani area on Saturday night.
On Sunday afternoon, the investigating officer, Inspector Sheikh Bashir Ahmed of the DB Police’s Cyber and Special Crime (South) Division, produced Hafiz before the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court and applied for a seven-day remand.
Following a hearing, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Rakibul Hasan granted a four-day remand.
According to the remand application filed by the police, the arrested Khandakar Abdul Hafiz, with the assistance of other accused individuals, was running anti-government propaganda on social media.
It further said that through a platform named 'Unity Care & Public Parliament' formed by several retired army officers, he was involved in state-subversive conspiracies and the rehabilitation of the Awami League by maintaining contact with former Army Chief General (retd) Aziz Ahmed, a former home minister, and absconding top leaders.
Furthermore, allegations were brought against him for inciting disorder from his personal Facebook page, spreading propaganda in favour of killing police officers, and communicating with domestic and foreign spies.
Police claimed that the accused had been systematically conspiring against the state since 5 August 2024.
Earlier, at midnight on 11 October, DB police arrested former army officers Lieutenant Colonel (retd) Bijoy Debashish Narayan Paul and Lieutenant (retd) Kazi Gulshan Ara from a residence in the Banani DOHS area.
The following day, Police Inspector Md. Ali Akbar of the DB’s Mirpur Zonal Team filed a case against them at Pallabi police station under various sections of the Cyber Protection Act and the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Bijoy Debashish and Gulshan Ara are currently in prison following the completion of their remand. Major (retd) Khandakar Abdul Hafiz has now been shown arrested under the same case.
At the time of filing, the case named Debashish and Gulshan Ara while listing 101 other unidentified individuals as accused. State Counsel Harun Or Rashid informed the court that Abdul Hafiz was shown arrested in this case after investigators established his involvement.
According to the case statement, the accused gathered at Kazi Gulshan Ara's residence at Pallabi to collect funds while associated with platforms named 'Bangladesh Awami League Supporters Alpha 1' and 'BBM Transparency'.
Additionally, they were using a Facebook page named 'KalAjkal.com' as well as personal accounts to incite violence and carry out defamatory anti-state propaganda, the case statement added.