JMBF calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Md. Sazedul Islam Sentu and S. M. Monirul Islam Saju and withdrawal of politically motivated charges against them.
According to verified information and documents received by JMBF, Md. Sazedul Islam Sentu was reportedly aritrary arrested by police from his residence in Sahebganj village, Atrai Upazila, in the early hours of 20 September 2026, without any specific pending case or arrest warrant being communicated to him or his family at the time of his arrest.
Following his arrest, he was reportedly shown arrested as a suspected accused in a case filed with Atrai Police Station in December 2025 under Sections 8, 9(3), 10, 11 and 12 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009. He was subsequently produced before the competent court, which ordered his detention in prison.
According to the allegations contained in the case, at approximately on 16 December 2025, members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League and others allegedly gathered for a secret meeting on Bandaikhara Bridge under Hatkalupara Union in Atrai. Police alleged that the gathering was intended to disrupt public security, create fear among the population and cause deterioration of the law-and-order situation in connection with the forthcoming national parliamentary election.
In a separate incident, police arrested S. M. Monirul Islam Saju, former General Secretary of the Badalgachhi Upazila Jubo League, during a special operation on 20 September 2026. On 21 September, he was produced before the court and sent to Naogaon District Jail.
His arrest reportedly relates to an incident on the night of 18 September 2026 near the new bridge over the Chhoto Jamuna River adjacent to Badalgachhi Police Station, where several activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League allegedly held a torch procession and burned tyres. A video of the procession was subsequently circulated on Facebook, after which police conducted operations and arrested S. M. Monirul Islam Saju.
The reported circumstances surrounding the aritrary arrests and subsequent imprisonment of Md. Sazedul Islam Sentu and S. M. Monirul Islam Saju raise serious concerns regarding arbitrary arrest and detention, due process, the presumption of innocence, individual criminal responsibility, politically motivated judicial harassment, and the potential discriminatory application of criminal and anti-terrorism legislation on the basis of actual or perceived political affiliation.
JMBF firmly believes that a person’s actual or perceived political affiliation, membership of or association with a political organisation cannot in itself constitute evidence of criminal responsibility or justify arbitrary arrest, detention or judicial harassment. Criminal proceedings must be based on credible, specific and individualised evidence establishing the personal involvement of the accused in a recognisable criminal offence.
We urge you to write to the Honourable Prime Minister of Bangladesh, copying the relevant authorities listed below, to call for the immediate and unconditional release of Md. Sazedul Islam Sentu and S. M. Monirul Islam Saju; the withdrawal of politically motivated charges against them; an independent and impartial review of the circumstances surrounding their arrests and detention; and effective measures to prevent arbitrary arrest, detention and politically motivated prosecution on the basis of actual or perceived political affiliation.
Your prompt support and solidarity would be greatly appreciated. Please find below the urgent appeal in English.
In solidarity,
Robert Jean Paul Simon
Chief Advser
JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF)
CNB Premises, 180 Boulevard Haussmann
75008 Paris, France
Email: info@jmbf.org
Website: www.jmbf.org
EXACT LETTER SENT BY JMBF
Date: 25 September 2026
To:
Mr. Tarique Rahman
Honourable Prime Minister
Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh
Prime Minister’s Office
Tejgaon, Dhaka-1215, Bangladesh
Email: pm@pmo.gov.bd; psecy@pmo.gov.bd
Subject: Urgent appeal for the immediate and unconditional release of Md. Sazedul Islam Sentu and S. M. Monirul Islam Saju, the withdrawal of politically motivated charges against them, and an independent and impartial review of the circumstances surrounding their arrests and detention in Naogaon
Honourable Prime Minister,
Greetings from JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), an independent, non-profit and non-partisan international human rights organisation registered in France as well as as Transperiny registered in European Union and guided by the principles and values of the International Bill of Human Rights.
JMBF has learned from verified information, documents, media reports and its own sources that, in separate incidents on 20 September 2026, police arbitrary arrested Md. Sazedul Islam @ Sentu (44), President of the Atrai Upazila Swechchhasebak League, and S. M. Monirul Islam Saju (45), Senior Vice-President and former General Secretary of the Badalgachhi Upazila Jubo League, in Naogaon District due to soley their political affiliation, opinion and belief.
According to verified information and documents received by JMBF, Md. Sazedul Islam Sentu was reportedly arbotrary arrested from his residence in Sahebganj village under Atrai Upazila in the early hours of 20 September 2026. JMBF has been verified that no specific pending criminal case or arrest warrant was communicated to him or his family when he was taken into police custody.
Following his arrest, Md. Sazedul Islam Sentu was reportedly shown arrested as a suspected accused in an earlier case filed with Atrai Police Station in December 2025 under Sections 8, 9(3), 10, 11 and 12 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009. He was subsequently produced before the competent court, which ordered that he be detained in prison.
According to the allegations contained in the case documents, on 16 December 2025, members of the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League and other individuals allegedly gathered on Bandaikhara Bridge under Hatkalupara Union in Atrai for a secret meeting.
Police alleged that the participants intended to undertake activities in connection with the forthcoming national parliamentary election that would disrupt public security, create fear among the population and cause a serious deterioration of the law-and-order situation.
JMBF is particularly concerned by the reported circumstances in which Md. Sazedul Islam Sentu was allegedly first taken into police custody without a specific pending case or arrest warrant being communicated and was subsequently shown arrested as a suspected accused in a criminal case registered approximately nine months before his arrest.
The authorities therefore have an obligation to clarify the precise legal basis on which he was initially deprived of his liberty and to disclose the credible, specific and individualised evidence, if any, linking him personally to the alleged incident of 16 December 2025.
In a separate incident, S. M. Monirul Islam Saju, Senior Vice-President and former General Secretary of the Badalgachhi Upazila Jubo League, was arrested during a special police operation on 20 September 2026.
He was subsequently produced before the court on 21 September 2026 and sent to Naogaon District Jail.
His arrest reportedly followed events that occurred on the night of 18 September 2026 near the new bridge over the Chhoto Jamuna River adjacent to Badalgachhi Police Station. According to available information, several activists of the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League allegedly held a torch procession and burned tyres in the area.
A video of the procession was subsequently circulated on Facebook. Following the circulation of the video, police conducted operations and arrested S. M. Monirul Islam Saju.
JMBF is seriously concerned that the information presently available does not clearly establish what specific individual criminal act S. M. Monirul Islam Saju is alleged to have committed or what credible evidence personally connects him to the reported torch procession, tyre burning or any other alleged criminal activity.
The arrest and detention of a political leader following an alleged political demonstration involving other individuals, without transparent disclosure of specific evidence establishing his personal involvement, raises serious concerns regarding arbitrary detention, individual criminal responsibility, due process and politically motivated prosecution.
JMBF believes that the reported circumstances surrounding the arbitrary arrests and imprisonment of Md. Sazedul Islam Sentu and S. M. Monirul Islam Saju raise serious concerns about arbitrary arrest and detention, due process, the presumption of innocence, politically motivated judicial harassment and the potential misuse of criminal and anti-terrorism legislation against individuals on the basis of their actual or perceived political affiliation.
An individual’s membership of, association with, or leadership position in a political organisation cannot in itself constitute evidence of criminal responsibility. Criminal liability must be established through independent and impartial judicial proceedings on the basis of credible, specific and individualised evidence.
The authorities must therefore establish, through lawful investigation and admissible evidence, the specific conduct allegedly committed by each individual. Political identity, organisational affiliation, public accusations or the alleged conduct of other members or supporters of a political organisation cannot substitute for evidence of individual criminal responsibility.
It is particularly alarming if a person is taken into police custody without being promptly informed of the specific legal grounds for the arrest and is subsequently shown arrested in an earlier criminal case. Such a practice, if established, would raise serious questions regarding the legality and non-arbitrariness of the deprivation of liberty and the person’s ability to effectively challenge their detention.
The Constitution of Bangladesh guarantees equality before the law, protection of the law, protection of life and personal liberty, and safeguards relating to arrest and detention. In particular, Article 27 guarantees equality before the law and equal protection of the law; Article 31 guarantees the right to the protection of the law; Article 32 protects life and personal liberty; and Article 33 provides safeguards relating to arrest and detention.
Bangladesh is also a State Party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Article 9protects the right to liberty and security of person and prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention. It further requires that anyone arrested be informed, at the time of arrest, of the reasons for the arrest and be promptly informed of any charges.
Article 14 of the ICCPR guarantees equality before courts and tribunals, the right to a fair hearing by a competent, independent and impartial tribunal, and the presumption of innocence.
The use of anti-terrorism legislation imposes an especially serious responsibility on state authorities to ensure that criminal allegations are clearly defined and supported by credible evidence of the accused person’s individual conduct. Such legislation must not be used as a mechanism for punishing political affiliation, association, opinion or peaceful political activity.
In light of the above, JMBF respectfully requests that the Honourable Prime Minister:
- Take all appropriate steps to secure the immediate and unconditional release of Md. Sazedul Islam Sentu and S. M. Monirul Islam Saju, unless the authorities can promptly demonstrate before a competent and independent court credible, specific and individualised evidence establishing a lawful basis for their continued detention;
- Ensure the withdrawal of politically motivated charges against Md. Sazedul Islam Sentu and S. M. Monirul Islam Saju and put an end to any judicial harassment, intimidation or retaliation against them on the basis of their actual or perceived political affiliation, opinions, associations or peaceful political activities;
- Ensure an independent, impartial, prompt, thorough and transparent investigation and review of the circumstances surrounding the arrest of Md. Sazedul Islam Sentu, including the allegation that he was taken from his residence without being informed at the time of any specific pending criminal case or arrest warrant and was subsequently shown arrested in an earlier Anti-Terrorism Act case;
- Ensure an independent and impartial review of the circumstances surrounding Md. Sazedul Islam Sentu’s inclusion as a suspected accused in the December 2025 Anti-Terrorism Act case, including whether credible, specific and individualised evidence connects him personally to the alleged meeting of 16 December 2025;
- Ensure an independent and impartial review of the arrest and prosecution of S. M. Monirul Islam Saju, including the disclosure and examination of any evidence allegedly connecting him personally to the reported events of 18 September 2026;
- Ensure the preservation and independent examination of all relevant evidence, including CCTV footage, videos, photographs, mobile phone location information, digital records, social-media material and witness testimony, to objectively determine whether either individual participated in the alleged offences;
- Ensure that both men have immediate and confidential access to lawyers of their choice, regular communication with their families, adequate medical care where necessary, and all other procedural safeguards guaranteed by national and international law;
- Ensure that no person in Bangladesh is arrested, detained or prosecuted solely because of their actual or perceived political affiliation, opinions, associations or peaceful political activities, and that criminal responsibility is determined solely on the basis of credible evidence of individual criminal conduct;
- Take effective measures to prevent the misuse of the Anti-Terrorism Act and other criminal laws for politically motivated arrest, detention or prosecution, and ensure that all counter-terrorism measures comply fully with Bangladesh’s Constitution and international human rights obligations; and
- Reaffirm the Government of Bangladesh’s commitment to the rule of law, due process, the presumption of innocence, equality before the law and protection against arbitrary arrest and detention, irrespective of an individual’s political identity or affiliation.
The rule of law requires allegations of criminal conduct to be investigated by competent authorities and determined through independent judicial proceedings based on credible evidence. Political identity, organisational affiliation, public accusations or the alleged conduct of other individuals cannot substitute for lawful investigation, individualised evidence and due process.
JMBF respectfully urges your personal interbention with this matter with the utmost seriousness and take the necessary steps to secure the immediate and unconditional release of Md. Sazedul Islam Sentu and S. M. Monirul Islam Saju unless a lawful and evidence-based basis for their continued detention is established; independently review the circumstances surrounding their arrests and prosecution; and protect them from further arbitrary detention, judicial harassment, intimidation or retaliation.
A prompt and effective response would help protect the rights of individuals irrespective of political affiliation and strengthen public confidence in the rule of law and the administration of justice in Bangladesh.
We respectfully request that information about any action taken in this matter be forwarded to the JMBF office for our records.
Yours sincerely,
Robert Jean Paul Simon
Chief Adviser
JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF)
French National Bar Council (CNB) Premises
180 Boulevard Haussmann
75008 Paris, France
Email: info@jmbf.org
Website: www.jmbf.org
Copies forwarded for information and appropriate action:
1. Mr. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir
Honourable President
Office of the President (Bangabhaban)
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Email: secretary@bangabhaban.gov.bd
2. Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury
Honourable Chief Justice
Supreme Court of Bangladesh
Ramna, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Email: rg@supremecourt.gov.bd
3. Mr. Salahuddin Ahmed
Honourable Minister
Ministry of Home Affairs
Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh
Bangladesh Secretariat
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Email: minister@moha.gov.bd
4. Mr. Monjur Morshed Chowdhury
Senior Secretary
Ministry of Home Affairs
Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh
Bangladesh Secretariat
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Email: secretary@moha.gov.bd
5. Mr. Md. Ali Hossain Fakir
Inspector General of Police
Bangladesh Police
Police Headquarters
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Email: ig@police.gov.bd
6. Mr. Md. Ashiq Sayeed
Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG)
Rajshahi Range, Bangladesh Police
Rajshahi, Bangladesh
Email: digrajshahi@police.gov.bd
7. Mr. Mohammad Tariqul Islam
Superintendent of Police
Naogaon District Police
Naogaon, Bangladesh
Email: spnaogaon@police.gov.bd
8. Mr. Md. Abdul Karim
Officer-in-Charge
Atrai Police Station
Atrai, Naogaon, Bangladesh
Email: ocnao.atr@police.gov.bd
9. Mr. Muhammad Ruhul Amin
Officer-in-Charge
Badalgachhi Police Station
Badalgachhi, Naogaon, Bangladesh
Email: ocnao.bad@police.gov.bd
10. Mr. Volker Türk
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
Geneva, Switzerland
Email: ohchr-InfoDesk@un.org
11. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD)
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
United Nations Office at Geneva
8–14 Avenue de la Paix
1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Email: hrc-wg-ad@un.org
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JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan international human rights organization registered in France under the French Association Law of 1901 (Registration No. W931027714), committed to defending human rights, promoting social justice, and empowering communities in Bangladesh and beyond. JMBF is officially registered in the European Union Transparency Register (REG No. 0635235105176-78).