Jhalakathi Correspondent

Barrister Muhammad Shahjahan Omar Bir Uttam, the former member of parliament of Jhalkathi-1 constituency, who left BNP and joined Awami League a few days before the 2018 parliamentary elections, was arrested in the case of vandalizing the BNP office while filing a case at the Rajapur police station.

He was sent to jail on the orders of the court on Thursday afternoon. Rajapur police station OC Ismail Hossain said that he was arrested in the case of vandalism and arson of upazila BNP office at Kanthalia bus stand. Last Wednesday night Kanthalia Upazila BNP general secretary Akhtar Hossain Nizam Mirbahar filed this case against 9 people including plaintiff Shahjahan Omar.

Shahjahan Omer was attacked by miscreants in Pingri area on his way from Barisal to Rajapur in his car on Thursday morning after hearing about the attack and vandalism of his house in Rajapur. The attackers vandalized the car he was using. Later, he went to Rajapur police station to complain about the broken car and the police arrested him around 12:30 pm. When he was produced in the Jhalakathi Senior Judicial Magistrate Court in the afternoon, Judge Afroza Bite Shahid ordered to be sent to jail.

According to the police and locals, miscreants attacked and vandalized Shahjahan Omar's residence Mehjabin in Godaunghat area of Rajapur Upazila Sadar around 8 pm on Wednesday.

Three windows of the residence were broken. On hearing this news, Shahjahan Omar came from his house in Barisal at around eight o'clock in the morning on his way to Rajapur and came to Pingri area of Barisal-Khulna regional highway in his car. Miscreants attack and vandalize. After this incident, Shahjahan Omar went to Rajapur police station to complain. On hearing that Shahjahan Omar had come to the police station, local BNP leaders protested in front of the police station and demanded his arrest.

Rajapur OC Ismail Hossain said that the BNP leaders and activists who were stationed outside the police station were removed and Shahjahan Omar was arrested and sent to the court as accused No. 1 of a case of Kanthalia police station.

Jhalakathi Court Police Inspector Pulak Chandra Roy said, when Shahjahan Omar Saheb was taken to the court of Senior Judicial Magistrate Afroza bint Shaheed, the judge ordered him to be sent to C Dwimule Jail as there was no bail application on his behalf and no remand request on behalf of the police.

On the way to court, Shahjahan Omar complained that Rajapur Upazila BNP President Abul Kalam Azad and General Secretary Nasim Akan attacked my house and car. I am not afraid of these cases. I will be an MP-minister again in this country, he wrote.

In this regard, Upazila BNP general secretary Nasim Akon said, "I do not know who threw bricks at his (Shahjahan Omar's) residence and car." The plaintiff in the case in which Shahjahan Omar has been arrested is Akhtar Hossain Nizam, general secretary of Kathalia Upazila BNP.

Case has been filed under Section 147,148,449,323,325,307,436,427,506 of Crpc.

The case was registered late on Wednesday night. It is claimed in the case that on December 4, 2023, 8 other named defendants led by Shahjahan Omar vandalized and set fire to Kathalia Upazila BNP office, causing a loss of three lakh taka.

It is to be noted that Shahjahan Omar was elected Member of Parliament from Jhalkathi-1 constituency four times on the nomination of BNP. He also became a state minister. Shahjahan Omar along with his wife were jailed for 13 years in a corruption case while in hiding during the last 1/11 government.

Later, when Awami League was in power, it stayed away from direct politics for a long time. He secretly developed closeness with Awami League to keep himself completely safe from new lawsuits including suspending the judgment of the corruption case. In the last 12th National Parliament election, he suddenly joined the Awami League and was elected MP in the election without voters. Shamim Alam, joint editor of Jhalkathi Lawyers Association, said that he went to Awami League after being dishonest with lakhs of BNP leaders and workers in Jhalkathi

The one-time disciples of Ustad Omar, who is famous in the region, gave a befitting reply by throwing eggs and shoes at him when he was brought to court.