July Protesters Helped Abrar Fahad’s Killer Jemi Escape from Jail

Staff Reporter

The prison authorities have issued an explanation regarding the news published in the media about the escape of Muntasir Al Jemi, who was sentenced to death in the murder case of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) student Abrar Fahad, from jail.

In a press release issued by the Department of Prisons on Monday night, it was stated that the prison authorities have taken note of the news reports regarding the escape of a death-row convict in the Abrar murder case. The explanation is being provided to clear the confusion among the public.

According to the prison authorities, Muntasir Al Jemi (26), son of Abdul Majid from Kendua Upazila in Netrokona district, was imprisoned in the Gazipur High-Security Central Jail. This death-row convict’s prisoner number was 5177. On August 6, anti-government protesters broke the prison walls and helped 202 inmates escape. Among them, 87 were death-row convicts, including Jemi.

It is worth noting that on July 19, anti-government protesters, armed with local weapons, ramdas, and heavy hammers to break locks and iron gates, attacked Narayanganj District Jail and freed all 826 inmates, including 9 militants. They also took away 85 weapons and a large quantity of ammunition. The protesters set fire to the jail, took prison guards hostage, and assaulted them before releasing the inmates. Similarly, an attack was carried out on Kashimpur Central Jail on August 6.

According to various media reports published on August 7, after news of political changes in the country reached inside the prisons on August 5, inmates in Gazipur’s Kashimpur Jail, including murderers, terrorists, militants, and other dangerous criminals, began protesting to demand their release. This protest was primarily instigated by the agitation of external protesters. Reports of nationwide chaos and police killings had already shaken the morale of the prison guards, who were terrified for their lives.

Jail Superintendent Subrata Kumar Bala stated that on the day of the incident, inmates began protesting and rioting from 12 PM. During this time, many inmates used ladders and broke walls to escape. Upon receiving the news, several army teams arrived at the jail by helicopter from Dhaka. In this situation, with the help of outsiders, 209 inmates escaped after taking prison guards hostage. Six people, including three militants, were killed by gunfire from the army and prison guards trying to prevent the escape. The remaining 209 inmates managed to flee.

Relatives of the militants, in collaboration with the protesters, carried out the attacks on the prisons to create this situation, allowing dangerous militants and top terrorists to escape amid the chaos in the country. Among those who escaped were top leaders of militant organizations, who remain at large.

Nine days after the incident, on August 15, the prison authorities filed a case with Konabari Police Station regarding the incident. So far, 51 escaped inmates, including 35 death-row convicts, have been rearrested and sent back to jail. However, Jemi has not yet been apprehended.

The Department of Prisons stated, “Law enforcement agencies are continuing their efforts to arrest the escaped convict.”

The press release also mentioned that out of the 22 convicted in the Abrar murder case, the remaining 21 are still in prison.

Meanwhile, following the news of Jemi’s escape, hundreds of BUET students protested on Monday night. Around 11 PM, they marched around various dormitories and later held a press conference in front of the Raju Sculpture at Dhaka University. There, BUET students read out a written statement.

The statement said, “The place for death-row convicts is a high-security condemned cell. The escape of such top terrorists from there is disgraceful and shameful for us.”

It is worth mentioning that on October 7, 2019, Abrar Fahad, a Shibir activist, died due to ragging at BUET. In this case, on December 8, 2021, a court sentenced 20 people, including Jemi, a 17th batch student of the Mechanical Engineering Department, to death, and five others to life imprisonment.