Announcing Sheikh Hasina's Return by Loudspeaker: Two Arrested in Naogaon's Manda, Auto-Rickshaw Seized

Police have arrested two people in Manda, Naogaon, for announcing by loudspeaker from an auto-rickshaw the return home of Sheikh Hasina, president of the banned-activities Awami League and former prime minister. They were arrested on Friday (October 23) at noon from the Kashopara area of the upazila. Police also seized the auto-rickshaw used for the loudspeaker announcement.

The arrested are Shahidul Islam Shahid, president of Kashopara Union Chhatra League and son of the late Abdul Jalil Pramanik of Rangamatia village, and Abdul Jalil (50), president of Manda Union Swechchhasebak League and son of the late Gama Sarkar of Nabagram Talbona.

Thana police sources said that on Thursday (October 22), several people made the announcement in an open field in Kalikapur Union of the upazila, claiming Sheikh Hasina would return home in December. A video of the announcement later spread on Facebook.

In the viral video, a young man is seen publicly campaigning with a microphone fitted to a moving battery-run auto-rickshaw. The announcement began by greeting the people of Manda upazila with Assalamu Alaikum and greetings to brothers of other religions and communities.

The campaign then claimed that Awami League president and five-time former prime minister Sheikh Hasina would set foot on the country's soil next December. It ended with a call to welcome her regardless of party affiliation and slogans of 'Joy Bangla, Joy Bangabandhu'.

Manda Thana Officer-in-Charge Afzal Hossain said that when the matter came to police attention, raids were carried out in various areas. The two arrested admitted their involvement in the incident. They will be sent to jail through the court.

The incident comes at a time when the Awami League's activities are banned and various rumours and campaigns about its president's return circulate on social media. Carrying that campaign into the field with a loudspeaker is what prompted the police operation.

According to police, they acted after the video spread and identified and arrested the accused from the Kashopara area. The seized auto-rickshaw was the vehicle used for the announcement.

One of the arrested is a union president of Chhatra League and the other a union president of Swechchhasebak League — both local leaders of associate bodies of the banned-activities party. Police said they admitted involvement.

The next step is sending them to jail custody through the court. The formal case details and the sections under which the case was filed will become clear in police's next statement.

The incident has sparked local discussion, because the video of the announcement made in an open field spread on Facebook, came to the administration's attention, and led to the arrests.

No official basis for the claim of Sheikh Hasina's December return was mentioned in the report; the police action centred on the act of publicly announcing it by loudspeaker. The legal process will now move forward in court.