Staff Reporter:
The Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir expelled one of its central leaders, Jisan Mia Pradhan, after his arrest in Cumilla on charges of rape, assisting in rape and destroying a fetus, on Saturday.
Jisan, an assistant international affairs secretary of the party, was expelled after the student wing of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami cited preliminary evidence of a “romantic relationship” with the complainant, according to media reports.
In a statement posted on Facebook, Shibir’s Central Publication Secretary SM Farhad said, “Jisan had been expelled in accordance with the organisation’s constitution and disciplinary rules after a preliminary review found evidence of a romantic relationship between him and the complainant.”
“Under organisational rules, If the allegations are proven, the victim will receive legal assistance,” he added.
The organisation said it would support the complainant legally if the allegations against Jisan are proven.
At the same time, Shibir raised concerns about the circumstances surrounding Jisan’s detention and the handling of the case.
According to the statement, after police located Jisan on Friday night, neither his family members nor representatives of the organisation were allowed to meet him until 1:30pm on Saturday.
As he remains in police custody, the organisation said it had not been able to hear his version of events and was relying solely on information provided by law enforcement authorities.
The statement also cited remarks from the complainant’s elder sister, Sabikun Nahar, who allegedly said that 15 to 20 police or administrative personnel took the woman from her home on Friday afternoon without allowing any family member to accompany her.
Shibir further claimed that the complainant and her father were being kept separately under police supervision and that family members had been unable to communicate with them.
According to the organisation, the complainant’s sister was aware of the relationship between Jisan and the woman but had no detailed knowledge of the filing of the case or subsequent developments.
“As direct communication with the concerned parties has not been possible, the actual circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear,” reads the statement.
According to police, Jisan allegedly raped a woman at his rented house in Daudkandi on 20 May after promising to marry her. Investigators said the woman later became pregnant and that the pregnancy was terminated through medication.
Police also said Jisan had agreed to marry the woman on Thursday (12 June), but subsequently went into hiding. His cousin, Russell Ahmed, later filed a general diary reporting him missing.
After learning that Jisan had been found, the woman filed a case with Daudkandi Model Police Station on Friday night, accusing four people, including Jisan, of rape, assisting rape and terminating a fetus.
Jisan previously served as president of Chhatra Shibir’s Cumilla West district unit.
Meanwhile, a protest procession was held on Saturday at the Central Shaheed Minar and Dhaka University area by member from Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, condemning what organisers described as a staged abduction incident allegedly orchestrated by Shibir members.
According to the organisers, the demonstration was arranged to protest the alleged fabrication of abduction and enforced disappearance incidents, which they claimed undermines and disrespects genuine victims of enforced disappearances.
They also accused Shibir activists of conducting coordinated online campaigns to falsely blame the government and of involvement in serious crimes, including rape and violence against women.
