Not just injustice, I was subjected to oppression: Anis Alamgir
Criticising the former interim government, journalist Anis Alamgir, who was released on bail from jail in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act, said, “Not only was an injustice done to me, I was also subjected to oppression. You tell me to criticise you, and then when I do so, you send me to jail. This is a huge deception. No one has seen a deception bigger than this in the past thousand years. If someone criticises you, you put them in jail under the Anti-Terrorism Act. Can criticism ever be considered terrorism? Am I involved in any terrorist activity?”
Anis Alamgir was released from Kashimpur Central Jail-2 in Gazipur at around 2:30 pm today, Saturday.
After his release, he left for Dhaka without speaking to journalists at the prison gate. Later, he spoke to Prothom Alo over the phone.
Jail superintendent Md Al Mamun of Kashimpur Central Jail-2 confirmed his release to Prothom Alo.
He said the journalist’s bail documents reached the prison yesterday, Friday. After verification, he was released at around 2:30 pm today. His family members were present at the prison gate at the time.
Speaking to Prothom Alo over the phone, Anis Alamgir said, “Dr Yunus himself said that you can criticise me openly. After criticising him, I was arrested. Not only that, I was picked up and a case was filed against me under the Anti-Terrorism Act. That was not enough. He even lodged a case against me using the Anti-Corruption Commission to harass me, which is even more ridiculous.”
Describing his time in jail, Anis Alamgir said, “I had to stay in jail for a full three months. I cannot describe how every moment and every day passed in prison. The first month was extremely inhumane. There were 35 people in a single room. Later, I was moved to a slightly better environment.”
Anis Alamgir further said, “The culture of enforced disappearances, killings and picking up people without trial began during the 1/11 government and continued during the government of Sheikh Hasina. I would say the government of Sheikh Hasina was an extension of the 1/11 government. Now a form of legal oppression is continuing, which Dr Yunus has started. If this continues, people will not take it well.”
He also alleged that many innocent people had been jailed. He said, “If you go to any jail, you will see that only political activists of one party are in prison. There are no activists of other parties. Even people with no political positions have been brought in and labelled with posts.”
Anis Alamgir urged the current government to quickly establish the rule of law in the country.
He said, “In the way the current government is operating, it appears sympathetic to restoring the rule of law. I am hopeful about that, but I believe it should be done more quickly.”
Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Sabbir Faiz granted bail to Anis Alamgir on Wednesday after a hearing. With this, he has secured bail in both cases filed against him.
Members of the detective branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police took Anis Alamgir for questioning from a gym in Dhanmondi in the capital on the night of 14 December last year.
The next day, he was arrested in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act with Uttara West police station. He was later taken on a five-day remand and sent to jail after the remand ended.