Jamaat leader (retd) Akhtaruzzaman arrested

Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Branch (DB) police have arrested Major (retd) Muhammad Akhtaruzzaman Ranjan, a Jamaat-e-Islami member, over allegations that he threatened the executive director of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and assaulted a security supervisor during an airport dispute.

DB chief and Additional Commissioner Shafiqul Islam confirmed the arrest to Ajker Patrika on Friday. Akhtaruzzaman was arrested from his residence in the Cantonment area, he said.

Earlier on Friday, Shahriar Alam Sajib, a security officer of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), filed a case with Airport Police Station.

Airport Police Station Officer-in-Charge Kamrul Hasan Talukdar said the case accused Major (retd) Akhtaruzzaman of obstructing government work and issuing threats. “The matter is being investigated,” he said.

A video of Akhtaruzzaman arguing loudly over a delay in supplying Zamzam water to Umrah passengers from a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight arriving from Madinah circulated on social media on Thursday morning.

The video showed him making what were described as threatening remarks directed at the airport’s executive director.

Akhtaruzzaman, a former lawmaker and freedom fighter who was expelled from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) five times, joined Jamaat-e-Islami on December 13 last year. He formally joined the party by filling out its primary associate membership form in the presence of senior leaders.

A resident of Katiadi upazila in Kishoreganj, Akhtaruzzaman was elected to parliament twice consecutively, in 1991 and 1996, on BNP nominations from the Kishoreganj-2 constituency. At the time, the constituency covered only Katiadi upazila; Pakundia upazila has since been included.

Akhtaruzzaman contested the constituency in the 11th general election under the BNP’s paddy sheaf symbol but lost to former inspector general of police Nur Mohammad, who contested under the Awami League’s boat symbol. Akhtaruzzaman also served as president of the district BNP.