Protesting in Debidwar While in Qatar and Saudi Arabia! Expatriates Named in ‘Phantom’ Anti-Terrorism Case via Police Video Footage
Can expatriates living abroad or critically ill patients undergoing hospital treatment miraculously return home to participate in a rally? Following claims made during a police investigation, this very question has sparked widespread public debate. Allegations have surfaced in Debidwar, Comilla, that the police have filed a “strange and supernatural” case under the Anti-Terrorism Act, naming individuals who were either abroad or hospitalized.
According to documents and local sources, on the morning of August 1, 2026, an anti-government rally was allegedly held by members of banned and opposition political groups along the Comilla-Sylhet highway in the Yusuflpur area under Debidwar Police Station. Following the incident, Sub-Inspector (SI) Anup Barua filed a case (Case No. 04, Date: 02/08/2026) under various sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009. The FIR explicitly named 26 individuals while listing another 15 to 20 unnamed persons as accused.
Police Claims vs. Reality:
The police FIR claims that 26 suspects were identified after reviewing video footage from the scene. However, a review of the primary documents reveals glaring contradictions—
- Attending Rallies from Abroad! The 6th accused in the case, Iqbal Hossain Rubel, has been residing in Qatar for a long time. Meanwhile, the 7th accused, Saidul Islam, and the 9th accused, Shaon, are currently employed in Saudi Arabia. None of them have returned to Bangladesh since the political shift in 2024. Yet, police claimed that upon checking video footage, they identified these expatriates physically participating in the Debidwar rally. Locals are now mockingly asking: Did these expatriates use some magical or futuristic transport to quickly land in Bangladesh, attend the rally, and fly back?
- From Hospital Bed to Street Rallies? It wasn’t just expatriates—a cancer patient undergoing treatment in a hospital bed was also not spared from this “digital identification.” Their name was explicitly included as a accused in the FIR.
- More Accused Than Actual Protesters! According to local eyewitnesses, the total number of individuals named in the case exceeds the actual number of people visible carrying banners at the rally.
Arrests and Current Status:
Following the filing of the case on August 2, police arrested three local Union-level Awami League vice-presidents—Faridul Islam (36), Shahin Sarkar (45), and Abu Taher Sarkar (58)—and produced them before the Comilla court. Investigating Officer SI Pavel Mallick and Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md. Moniruzzaman submitted a formal request to detain the accused in judicial custody.
Public Outrage and Questions:
Attributing video footage identification to citizens currently living abroad has been termed a “phantom or ghost case” by civil society members and legal experts. Allegations have emerged that these fabricated charges were pressed to harass political opponents ahead of upcoming key political anniversaries in August.
Family members of the overseas accused stated, “How could the police claim to have identified people in video footage without verifying whether they were even in the country? This is a blatant attempt at harassment and a clear misuse of the legal system.”
This controversial law enforcement action has sparked intense anger and ridicule across the region.
