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"Razakars," or those who sided with Pakistan during the 1971 Liberation War, have grabbed power while freedom fighters are in jail, said former shipping minister Shajahan Khan, who has been behind bars for the last seven months since the fall of the Awami League government.
He made the remarks while being taken to the courtroom from the lockup at Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court on Monday, bdnews24.com reports.
When asked about contesting the 13th national election, Shajahan, an eight-time MP, said: "I'll definitely contest the election"
The hearing on showing Shajahan arrested in the murder case of Chankharpool trader Monir during the Anti-discrimination Student Movement was scheduled for Monday. He was taken to the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court lockup in the morning and was presented to the courtroom later.
After the hearing, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mehedi Hasan granted the petition to show the former Faridpur-2 MP arrested. On April 13, Sub-inspector Mainul Islam Khan Pulok of Shahbagh Police Station filed the petition.
While being taken to the jail after the order, Shajahan – a freedom fighter in the 1971 war - said: "You people don't say anything, you only want me to speak."
He also said, "Razakars have grabbed power while freedom fighters are in jail."
Shajahan, a member of the Awami League Presidium, has been blamed for threatening to harm two police personnel at the International Crimes Tribunal on Sunday.
"I spoke the truth; I shared exactly what happened," he said regarding the allegation.
Shajahan also claimed that Awami League leaders were facing "injustice."
As per the case dossier, Md Monir, a small-scale jute trader, took part in the Anti-discrimination Student Movement in Chankharpool on August 5. He died on the spot after a bullet fired by the suspects hit him. His wife filed a case on March 14 with the Shahbagh Police Station.
Police arrested Shajahan on September 5, 2024, in Dhanmondi a month after the fall of the Awami League government. After that, he was remanded several times in different cases.
Shajahan is the president of the Bangladesh Workers' Federation.
He won the Madaripur-2 parliamentary seat as an independent candidate for the first time in 1986.
He then won the same seat as an Awami League nominee in the 1991, 1996, 2001, 2008, 2014, 2018, and 2024 elections.