Police have sealed Sohel Square Eco Resort in Ratargul, Gowainghat, for hosting a meeting of Advocate Ranjit Sarkar, organisational secretary of the banned Awami League’s Sylhet district unit and former MP of Sunamganj-1.
Two resort employees and two Awami League activists have been arrested. A case is under process.
The resort owner, Sohel, has gone into hiding after a video of the meeting circulated on Facebook.
Gowainghat Thana Officer-in-Charge Md Omar Faruk Mondol did not answer repeated calls. Duty officer SI Hasib, speaking on his behalf, said the resort was closed around 3 am early Tuesday. Police put a lock on it and detained the four people. Efforts to arrest the owner continue.
Police said the meeting was attended by Tara Mia, organisational secretary of the banned Awami League’s Tahirpur upazila unit and a close associate of Ranjit Sarkar. Sunamganj police arrested Tara Mia. Based on information he provided, police verified the incident at the resort. Sunamganj Superintendent of Police ABM Zakir Hossain confirmed the venue on Tuesday evening. Tara Mia had earlier been detained Tuesday morning from the Shahebbari Ghat area in Sunamganj city after his mobile phone location was tracked.
According to police sources, senior district police officers interrogated Tara Mia from morning until afternoon. In his initial statement, he said Ranjit Sarkar held the meeting at the eco resort in Ratargul, Fatehpur Union, Gowainghat. A Sunamganj police team then took him to the site.
SP ABM Zakir Hossain stated that, based on Tara Mia’s information, police confirmed the meeting details at Sohel Square Eco Resort. A lawyer had rented the resort on 8 November claiming it was for an educational tour, and an educational-tour banner was initially hung. About 175 people attended. After the day’s programme, during a musical session at night, Ranjit Sarkar arrived, put up a banner, spoke for a few minutes, and left.
The SP said the event was organised under the cover of an educational tour. Police are investigating how Ranjit Sarkar entered the country and took part in the meeting.
Earlier, on Monday afternoon, Ranjit Sarkar posted a video of his speech from the meeting on his Facebook account, in which he criticised the current government. In reaction, an angry crowd set fire to his house in Gopaltilla, Sylhet city, later that night.
BNP leaders and activists of Sunamganj-1 (Jamalganj, Dharmapasha, Tahirpur and Madhyanagar) expressed anger over Ranjit’s anti-government remarks and held protest marches and gatherings in various parts of the constituency on Tuesday. Speakers at the gatherings said local MP Kamruzzaman Kamrul had instructed them to hold processions and meetings in every union that night and called on them to resist what he described as conspiracies by the “fascist Awami circle.”
Local sources said the meeting was organised under the leadership of Farid Ahmed Shamim (organisational secretary of the upazila Awami League and resident of Fatehpur), Aminur Rahman Chowdhury (former UP chairman and forest and environment secretary of the upazila Awami League), and Jubo League leader Masuk Ahmed.
Sylhet and Sunamganj police initially gave differing statements about the venue. Law-enforcement agencies later became active. After viewing the video, Sunamganj police arrested Tara Mia; he was sent to jail on Tuesday under court order. Police have not yet confirmed Ranjit Sarkar’s current whereabouts.