Dhaka: A highly concerning event that has taken place in Bangladesh recently is the incident where a warrior for freedom, Abul Hai Kanu, was put to shame by being forced to wear a garland made of shoes publicly. This has caused a wave of anger and raised a lot of questions about the maltreatment of the people who fought for the country’s independence.
The miserable event happened in Comilla. In this city, a group of 10 to 12 boys surrounded Kanu, threatening him and telling him to leave the area. After the video showed Kanu being brought a garland of shoes and swearing at him, this incident went viral on social media. The local police have given formal confirmation of the incident, saying that it will be investigated.
A group of 10 to 12 people, who accuse him of being the one who contributes to the harm to the community, B subjected him to their aggrieved demands. Kanu is commanded to vacate his house and leave the locality. After encountering this disgrace, Kanu has supposedly sought shelter in another location to avoid the trouble.
A proud freedom fighter, Abdul Hai Kanu, who served during the Liberation War, has been humiliated by being forced to wear a garland of shoes! Kanu, a revered freedom fighter from the Chauddagram upazila of Comilla, was abducted from his own home this morning by a group of… pic.twitter.com/qEIyIjKJ7Q
— Awami League (@albd1971) December 22, 2024
The Awami League, which is led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, characterised the incident as shameful and, in a statement, made the party’s disgust clear. The party made the statement on the social network X, emphasising that the act is an affront to Bangladesh’s honour and history. They voiced their protest, “
The act of humiliating Abdul Hai Kanu, a hero of the war for freedom who fought for the liberation of the country, is not just one individual but an assault on our independence’s values and our liberation heroes.”
The party has also stressed that such despicable acts cannot be tolerated any longer, and they demanded the people take joint actions to lift the country’s honor. The episode represents a wider tendency of intimidation and violence against members of the Awami League party and anyone related to the fight for Bangladesh’s independence. Since Sheikh Hasina’s government was deposed in a recent coup, the reports of targeted killings and people being harassed for their political views have risen.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav recently blamed the ruling party for directing Nitish Kumar’s office in India, which made parallels to the lack of political dissent in Bangladesh, where the government is suppressing any opposition. Kanu emotionally embraced the sorrowful incident that has come to his two passings of him. He remarked,””What I went through was sheer barbarism. If they do not arrest the criminals within 24 hours, I will sacrifice my life.” He alleges that they have constantly harassed him and his family since his son Biplab ran for a local union presidency in 2016.
Kanu stated that he was very much frightened about sharing the cell with a bad person once before in prison, and after the latest event, he fears for his life.
As Bangladesh continues to experience a political crisis and increasing targeting of freedom fighters and opposition figures, episodes like that of Abul Hai Kanu highlight the perennial struggle for justice and self-esteem by all those who contributed to the country’s independence.