Accused in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, ‘Seen’ by Police in Debidwar
Police claim identification from video footage; three expatriates living abroad for over a year named in the case, triggering criticism
A case filed by police in Debidwar, Cumilla, has sparked widespread criticism after three Bangladeshi expatriates, who have reportedly been living in Saudi Arabia and Qatar for more than a year, were named as accused in connection with a procession.
According to police, a group of banned Chhatra League, Jubo League and Awami League activists brought out a flash procession on Saturday morning in the Yusufpur area along the Cumilla–Sylhet highway. Police claimed the participants fled before officers arrived, and the accused were later identified through video footage.
However, the families of three accused—former Debidwar Upazila Chhatra League president Iqbal Hossain Rubel, Upazila Chhatra League joint convener Saidul Islam, and municipal Chhatra League health affairs secretary Md. Shawon—say all three have been living in Qatar and Saudi Arabia since shortly after August 5, 2024, making it impossible for them to have attended the procession.
The case was filed on Sunday by Sub-Inspector Apu Barua of Debidwar Police Station under the Anti-Terrorism Act. It names 23 accused and 15–20 unidentified persons.
The First Information Report (FIR) alleges that 35–40 activists of the Awami League, Jubo League and Chhatra League gathered illegally in Yusufpur, chanted anti-government slogans and dispersed before police reached the scene. Investigators later claimed they identified 23 suspects by reviewing video footage.
However, the video circulating on social media appears to show only about 10–12 participants, raising questions about how several expatriates were identified as suspects.
Local sources said Iqbal Hossain Rubel has been living in Qatar for a long time, while Saidul Islam and Md. Shawon have been working in Saudi Arabia.
Saidul’s younger brother, Mizanur Rahman, said his brother left for Saudi Arabia on May 31 last year and expressed surprise that he had been accused of taking part in a procession while abroad.
Speaking in a Facebook Live from Qatar, Iqbal Hossain Rubel alleged that police included him and two other expatriates in the case without proper verification. He also claimed that none of them appeared in the video police cited for identification.
Shawon’s mother, Ferdousi Akter, said her son had been in Saudi Arabia since January 15 last year, calling the allegation against him “deeply unfortunate.”
Police have already arrested former Union Parishad chairman Abu Taher Sarkar, another accused in the case, and produced him before a court. His family, however, claims he does not appear in the procession video either.
Responding to the controversy, Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md. Moniruzzaman of Debidwar Police Station said the case had to be filed quickly following instructions from higher authorities. He acknowledged that police could not verify whether any of the accused were abroad before filing the case and said the matter would be clarified during the investigation.
The inclusion of expatriates in the case, alongside the police admission that their overseas status had not been verified beforehand, has fueled intense public debate and criticism across Debidwar.
