Bhaluka's Sathi Akter in Jail over Facebook Criticism of Government; Women's Jamaat Secretary Nurunnisa Siddika Demands Unconditional Release

Nurunnisa Siddika, secretary of the women's wing of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and a member of parliament from a reserved women's seat, has condemned and protested the jailing of Sathi Akter (30), a woman entrepreneur detained in Bhaluka, Mymensingh, after expressing anger criticising the government and the law and order situation on social media. She demanded Sathi Akter's immediate unconditional release.

In a statement on Wednesday (28 October) signed by the women's Jamaat publicity and media secretary Nazmun Nahar Nilu MP, Nurunnisa Siddika said expressing an opinion in a democratic system is a citizen's right. Just as citizens elect their representatives, they also criticise them when the representatives fail to play their role as expected.

In the statement she said the detained Sathi Akter has the right to express her opinion. But creating a mob through ruling BNP activists over it, and the law enforcement agencies arresting her instead of giving her security, is highly condemnable.

Nurunnisa Siddika said the women's Jamaat believes the government has shown its intolerant behaviour through this incident. Where the country's law and order situation has severely deteriorated, no special role of the relevant ministry is being seen on that matter. Instead, a woman is facing the state's wrath for expressing a dissenting view, which is highly condemnable and disappointing.

She said the women's Jamaat believes the government wants to suppress dissent through this, which is unwanted in post-2024 Bangladesh. She condemned the incident and demanded Sathi Akter's immediate unconditional release. She also warned that if such incidents recur, they will be resisted together with the people.

Earlier, on Monday (26 October) at noon, police showed Sathi Akter arrested under Section 151 and sent her to the Mymensingh Chief Judicial Magistrate Court. Later, at around 3 pm, Judge Sazedul Islam of the Mymensingh Senior Judicial Magistrate Court rejected her bail and ordered her sent to jail.

According to reports in various media, local BNP activists handed Sathi Akter over to the police.