— Mohammad Kamal Uddin In the long journey of life, people endure many slanders. Some insult them out of enmity, some slander them out of jealousy, and some try to destroy innocent people out of pride in power. But the biggest pain in a journalist’s life is trying to make them criminals for telling the truth. That is what I am writing today. This article is not a fiction. It is a cruel reality of my life. The history of a time when Bangladesh was slowly becoming a terrifying police state. When the law was the tool of the powerful, and false cases were the easiest weapon to silence truthful people. Today, those who are trying to paint me as a “Yaba dealer” by spreading a PCPR (Personal Case Profile Record) against me through social media are only showing a piece of paper. But they are hiding the terrible conspiracy, investigation, court decision, police extortion and the long history of a journalist’s struggle behind that paper. So today, once again, I am forced to write the truth.
I am Mohammad Kamal Uddin. A journalist, researcher, writer and television presenter. For almost three decades, I have been writing against injustice with my pen. During this long period, I have protested against numerous corruption, terrorism, political misdeeds, administrative irregularities and abuse of power. And that is why I have faced numerous cases, attacks, threats, propaganda and fear of death in my life. The history of false cases against me is not new. In 1997, I was implicated in the much-discussed Dubaiwala Salam kidnapping case of Panchlaish. Later, that case was proven to be baseless. After that, at different times, influential political circles filed one case after another against me. I was implicated in the disappearance of Azim Mohammad, a terrorist sentenced to death in Raujan. A case of extortion was also filed in Raujan. I was also accused of kidnapping in an incident in Satkania. There was even an attempt to kill me for writing against influential political leaders. But by the grace of Allah and the power of truth, I was never defeated. Because no matter how strong the lie is, the truth eventually rises. Yet the most humiliating and terrifying experience of my life was the so-called “Yaba case” of 2014. The time was June 2014. The Awami League had come to power for the second time through controversial elections. An invisible fear was at work everywhere. Every institution of the state was gradually coming under political control. The common man was afraid to go to the police station. Journalists felt terrified to write the truth. Because at that time, some dishonest police officers thought they were above the law. Especially some DB officers in Dhaka had become a terrible syndicate. Their job was to catch people and detain them illegally, extort large sums of money from their families, and if they did not pay, send them to prison on drug charges. At that time, the easiest weapon was “Yaba”. Just by putting a few hundred pieces of Yaba in their pocket, a person would become a “drug dealer” overnight. The “mirror house” of the DB office on Minto Road was a symbol of terror at that time. People would enter there, but there was no certainty about when they would come out, or whether they would be able to come out at all. That incident in my life happened during this terrible time. It would probably be on June 1 or 2. It was the month of Ramadan. It was raining lightly in the afternoon. I was sitting in a meeting at Sattar Mansion in front of Panchlaish Police Station in Chittagong. There, in the office of Nur Mohammad Saheb, the then Vice Chairman of Raozan Upazila, we were discussing some issues. Suddenly, my mobile phone rang. It was Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury, the representative of Amar Zomor Alo in Dhaka. There was concern in his voice. He told me, “Brother, there is a big problem. Abul Kalam Sikder from Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar, has been detained by the Dhaka DB for a few days. He is not releasing him even after taking a lot of money from his family.” I knew Abul Kalam Sikder personally. He was involved in the Umrah Hajj business. He had been to Chittagong many times. He had recently married. His wife was a school teacher. A polite, quiet family. Mujib told me,“DB is asking for another two million taka. If I don’t pay, they will file a big case.” I asked about the matter from a humane perspective. Because I believe that if someone is a criminal, they will be sent to court. But it cannot be legal to detain someone illegally and extort money. I called the DB office in Dhaka. At first, they wanted to avoid the matter. Later, I clearly said, “If the man is a criminal, then file a regular case. But why are there allegations of taking money from his family?” My question seemed to ignite their pride. They wanted to know my identity. When I introduced myself as a journalist, their behavior became even more aggressive. After a while, they hung up the phone. But the incident did not end there. After a while, the phone rang again. This time, they started questioning me—why did I talk about Abul Kalam, what is his relationship with me, on whose behalf am I speaking? I clearly said then, “I am speaking against injustice. If you work according to the law, then where is the problem?” These words were my “crime.” Then the terrible revenge began. Later, a staged case was prepared. It was said that Abul Kalam Sikder was arrested with 211 pieces of Yaba in a raid in front of the Fakirapul S Alam bus counter. And I allegedly fled the scene! Just think for a moment—I was staying in Chittagong at the time. However, the case report showed me present in Dhaka. If technology were used, if mobile call records were checked, and location tracking was tracked, it would have been easily proven that I was not in Dhaka. But the intention was not to find the truth. The intention was to intimidate, insult, and stop a journalist. Later, a PCPR was prepared against me by the Motijheel police station and sent to the Boalkhali police station. I got the news through an acquaintance in the village—a Yaba case has been filed against me. I was shocked. An attempt was made to make a journalist, who has written against drugs all his life and has taken up the pen against criminals in society, a “Yaba dealer”! I immediately contacted the officer-in-charge of the Boalkhali police station. Then I collected the case papers. Taking the paper in hand, I realized that this was not just a case, it was a planned revenge. I decided that I would not remain silent. I filed a written complaint with the IGP, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Home Secretary, and even the Prime Minister’s Office. I detailed how an extortionist gang was framing people in the Yaba case. Based on my complaint, a joint investigation team was formed. There were officers from the police, CID, and other agencies. The investigation was led by the then Senior Deputy Police Commissioner of Gulshan Division, Ferdous Kamal. A long investigation began. The investigation revealed one shocking piece of information after another. Evidence was found that some members of the DB were indeed illegally detaining people and extorting money. The Yaba case was part of their business. The investigation also revealed that there was no credible evidence to show me present at the scene. Rather, the investigation made it clear that I had been intentionally implicated in this case. It was recommended that departmental action be taken against some members of the DB. The role of DB Inspector Humayun was particularly questioned. At one point, the process of their dismissal also began. When they realized that the truth had been revealed,Then their behavior changed. They tried to compromise with me through various means. Some even apologized. Because they understood that it is not easy to frame a journalist in a false Yaba case, if he stands up for the truth. Finally, I was dropped from the charge sheet.
Later, the court dismissed the entire case as false and baseless. As a result, Abul Kalam Sikder, Mujibur Rahman and everyone else were released. But sadly, even after all these years, some people are using that old PCPR paper to spread propaganda against me. Because I still write. I still speak against corruption. I am still not afraid of the truth. Today, I am publicly announcing that if anyone can prove even a single word of this writing of mine to be false, I will give him a reward of 10 lakh taka. I humbly request all the agencies concerned with the administration to re-investigate this entire incident. Those who have harassed people with false cases, those who are still spreading propaganda, should be brought under the law. Because a journalist may be harassed with false cases for some time, but the truth can never be killed. I am still on the path of that truth. My pen has not been sold yet. My conscience has not bowed its head yet. And as long as I live, I will write for the truth. To be continued—