Jafar Alam MP was wearing a helmet and white pajama-punjabi. A man carrying a heavy arms was seen shooting. Most of the people present around the MP were carrying sticks.
Awami League member of parliament from Cox’s Bazar-1 constituency Jafar Alam was present in person in the rally where men with arms were seen during the clash centering gayebana janaya (prayer without body) of Delawar Hossain Sayedee, who was jailed until death for crimes committed against humanity during the liberation war of 1971. At least two persons were seen with weapons in the rally of Jafar.
A Jamaat activist named Forkanur Rahman, 50, was killed during the clash on Tuesday.
Analysing some video footage and pictures that went viral after the incident, it was found that Jafar Alam MP was wearing a helmet and white pajama-punjabi. A man carrying arms was seen shooting. Most of the people present around the MP were carrying sticks.
Witnesses and local sources said Jamaat-Shibir men were vandalising vehicles of police and health official on Baitus Sharaf road in Chakaria pourashava centering the gayebana janaza of Delawar Hossain Sayedee at around 4:00pm on 15 August.
Jafar Alam, along with 60-70 people reached Chakaria town within 15 minutes. People ran away seeing arms-carrying men with the MP. Jafar Alam headed towards Baitus Sharaf road with a rally. A man who was at the forefront of the rally was seen firing blank shots. Jafar Alam and another helmet-wearing man with arms were just behind.
A video footage shows MP Jafar in the middle of the rally on Chakaria highway. A man wearing a helmet, half sleeve shirt and black pants was at the front of the rally. And behind him was MP Jafar, Chakaria pourashava Awami League’s general secretary Mohammad Alamgir and pourashava Swechchhasebak League’s former convener Jaynal Hazari.
Although MP Jafar was wearing a helmet, Amin Chowdhury, Alamgir and Jaynal were not. Another man wearing a helmet and black panjabi was seen near the leaders. A man was seen opening fire as the rally went ahead. In the rally, the participants were chanting slogans for MP Jafar.
Prothom Alo could not reach lawmaker Jafar Alam over mobile phone for a comment. Nor did he reply the text message seeking his comment.
However, Mohammad Alamgir, who is Awami League’s Chakaria municipality unit general secretary and also known to be close to lawmaker Jafar Alam, told Prothom Alo, “The lawmaker is busy in his work outside Chakaria.”
Regarding the image that shows him and the lawmaker along with the arms-wielding people, Mohammad Alamgir said a peaceful procession led by him was brought out on the highway on the day of the gayebana namaj-e-janaza, and the lawmaker was also in the forefront.
But, the image of the peace procession and the image that is being circulated are not the same. He did not know about the arms-wielding persons either, and the law enforcement agencies will look into the matter, he commented.
A picture showing a man carrying arms during Awami League’s procession was published by various media. Locals said the man was Belal Uddin, who is the president of Jubo League’s Chakaria municipality ward No 7 unit, but Belal Uddin denied the allegation saying he was not even on the spot during the incident.
Meanwhile, Awami League’s Chakaria upazila and municipality units organised a press conference on 17 August where Chakaria municipality president Zahedul Islam said, “None of Awami League, Jubo League and Chhatra League were involved in clashes. BNP-Jamaat is spreading this propaganda.”
Chakaria police station officer-in-charge (OC) Jabed Mahmud claimed on the day of the incident that police fired no shots during the clashes.
Police filed two cased following the clashes, but cited no shots fired by them during the clashes either.
As images of Awami League’s leaders and activists firing shots from arms are circulating despite the claim that no one from Awami League, Jubo League and Chattra League was present during the clashes, question now arouse as to who shot Jamaat activist Forkanur dead.
OC Jaben Mahmud said they were looking into the details of arms-wielding people. He, however, avoided the matter of MP Jafar Alam being present at the procession.
On 15 August, certain Forkanur Rahman was shot dead centring the gayebana namaj-e-janaza of Delawar Hossain Sayedee. Several police members including the OC were also injured. Three cases were filed following these incidents.
Chakaria police station sub-inspector (SI) Mohmmad Al Forkan filed two separate cases – one under the Special Power Act and another for attacking police, while Nurussafa Begum, wife of slain Forkanur, lodged a murder case.
