In another example of weaponising the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to silence its critics, the interim government’s detectives arrested Begum Rokeya University’s former vice-chancellor and political analyst, Lt Col Professor Dr Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah, on Thursday.
Later, a Dhaka court sent him to jail pending an investigation in the case, rejecting his bail plea.
The academician had been anticipating his arrest when the case was filed in June but refused to keep his mouth shut. He used to talk about the current issues appearing in talk shows on TV and YouTube channels critical of the Yunus-led government.
On August 5, when the government announced the July Declaration, he termed it useless and vehemently criticised the regime for glorifying the mindless violence by the protesters of the anti-Awami League movement.
Prof Kalimullah hints at state of emergency, new government to oversee polls
He also spoke about the government’s attempts to manipulate the next elections, scheduled for February next year, while adding that Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus would finally defer it on various excuses.
Earlier this month, Prof Kalimullah said that the current political chaos might lead to the president declaring a state of emergency to replace the interim government with a new team.
He also termed the advisory council illegitimate for forging the reference of the Supreme Court’s full bench led by the Chief Justice.
Also the chairman of Jatiya Nirbachon Parjabekkhon Parishad (Janipop), Prof Kalimullah said that Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus lost acceptance and popularity and that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina might return to face the trials against her.
Prof Kalimullah was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Bangladesh Army on October 28, 2024, which had remained pending for several years.
In the morning, the Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested Prof Kalimullah from his residence in the capital’s Mohammadpur area.
The ACC filed the case against Prof Kalimullah and five others on charges of embezzling funds for the development work of Begum Rokeya University. The case alleges that Prof Kalimullah, and another former VC, AKM Noor Un Nabi, embezzled Tk4 crore in the name of a development project of the university.
Prof Kimullah termed the case false and malicious and blamed Yunus and National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman for directing the ACC to take steps against him, as he had criticised the government and the anti-graft body for harassing former UK minister Tulip Siddiq, the niece of Sheikh Hasina.
He was also critical of the interim government’s plan to set up the Rakhine Corridor, give the Chittagong Port operations to a foreign company, and aid the US-backed forces in establishing supremacy in the region.
Prof Kalimullah in court
It was 3:58pm. Two officers of the ACC took Prof Kalimullah by the hands and brought him to the main gate of the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court. They quickly walked him to the stairs. Then he was taken to the second floor. He was allowed to sit on a bench in the courtroom.
At that time, Prof Kalimullah was seen talking to his lawyers about the case. He continued talking to his lawyers for about 30 minutes. Later, an officer of the ACC’s prosecution department asked the teacher to be taken from the court bench to the accused’s dock. Kalimullah was sitting on a bench in the dock, his head bowed.
At 4:25pm, Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md. Zakir Hossain came to the courtroom. Prof Kalimullah stood in the dock. At that time, ACC Public Prosecutor Delwar Jahan requested that he be sent to prison.
He told the court that Prof Kalimullah committed corruption and misuse of power in the construction of a student hall and a research institute at the university. He and the other accused changed the design of the two buildings. Permission from the relevant government ministry is required for entering into contracts worth more than Tk30 crore. But Prof Kalimullah and others did not acquire any approval from the relevant ministry for contracts worth more than Tk30 crore.
Regarding Prof Kalimullah’s corruption, Delwar Jahan told the court that the accused cooperated with the contractor in various ways without any kind of no-objection certificate. There is no opportunity to give advance money to the contractor. Again, they did not follow the first design and went outside the government procurement process and appointed a second consulting firm.
After the ACC PP’s statement ended, one of the lawyers of Prof Kalimullah said that he is an elderly man and a former vice-chancellor. “If he is granted bail, he will not abscond. Let him be granted bail.”
He added that if he was not granted bail even then, then he should be given the status of a first-class prisoner.
ACC lawyer Delwar Jahan told the court that Prof Kalimullah did not perform his duties properly when he was the VC of Begum Rokeya University. He used to run the university from a liaison office in Dhaka. When he was saying these things, Prof Kalimullah, who was standing in the dock, opposed this statement.
He said that the statement was not correct.
When the court wanted to know about his appointment as the VC of Begum Rokeya University, Prof Kalimullah said: “Honourable Court, I am a professor in the Department of Public Administration of Dhaka University. I also served as the Vice Chancellor of Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP). Later, the then government gave me the responsibility of the Vice Chancellor of Begum Rokeya University.”
About the allegation that he did not go to the permanent campus in Rangpur, Prof Kalimullah said that it was propaganda against him for holding a press conference against former education minister Dipu Moni.
“She got angry with me and started propaganda against me. I worked for the welfare of the university for 17 to 18 hours.”
After his statement, ACC lawyer Delwar Jahan said that Prof Kalimullah is always seen on talk shows.
Prof Kalimullah told the court that he attends talk shows at night.
When the court said that he had served as the head of three faculties alongside the VC, Prof Kalimullah said that he had to do this because the posts of the heads of these faculties were vacant.
The court then said: “We have not seen any such incident in Dhaka University.”
Prof Kalimullah said that it happened due to special circumstances. “I had to fulfill my duties by leaving all those aside. Those who served as Vice Chancellors before me also served in these positions in the same way.”
One has to go to the grave and prison alone
Prof Kalimullah further told the court that the allegations of corruption brought against him were not correct. “Rather, I had stopped the admission and job trading at Begum Rokeya University.”
He said the ACC did not give him the opportunity to defend himself.
“I was not given any notice. I recently came to know that a case has been filed against me. I was staying at my house. In the morning, detectives came to my house. They asked me to go with them. I am a law-abiding citizen. I left home here in one piece of clothing.”
After recording his statement, the court said: “One has to go to the grave and prison alone. Those who commit corruption, with the money from that corruption, their relatives are traveling abroad, doing marketing, and having fun. But the one who commits corruption will rot in jail one day.”
At this stage, the court said: “As a citizen of this country, I have learned about you from the media. I have told you the information I have learned from hearsay. The ACC is investigating the corruption allegations against you.”
The court further said: “Alemul Gayeb and you know very well what you have done. The ACC will also know. Since the corruption allegations against you are being investigated, you have to go to jail at this stage. You will definitely get the facilities that you deserve in the jail code.”
After his bail application was rejected at around 5pm, he was taken to court custody and kept there for another 40 minutes. The van left the premises at 6pm.
From inside the van, Prof Kalimullah was seen talking to his relatives. At that time, the relatives kept comforting him.
He said: “Today I had a special experience.”
A relative then told him to leave his watch. He then took off his watch and threw it down through the window of the prison van. After that, he also threw his pen and gold ring down through the iron door. At that time, he was seen dejected.
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