Jewel Hasan, alias Saddam, the former president of the now-banned Bangladesh Chhatra League’s Bagerhat Sadar upazila unit, has levelled serious allegations of bribery against the superintendent of Bagerhat District Jail shortly after his release on interim bail.
Saddam was freed from Jashore Central Jail on Wednesday, following a six-month interim bail granted by the High Court on January 26 on humanitarian grounds, amid the recent tragic deaths of his wife and infant son.
The release came just days after widespread public outrage over the interim government’s refusal to grant him parole to attend his family’s funeral, a decision condemned by human rights organisations as inhumane and violative of constitutional rights.
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Upon arriving in Bagerhat on Wednesday evening, Saddam visited the graves of his wife, Kaniz Suborna, 22, and their 9-month-old son, Sejad Hasan (Nazif), in Sabekdanga village.
Speaking to media personnel there, he accused Khondaker Md Al-Mamun, superintendent of Bagerhat District Jail, of demanding Tk5 lakh as a bribe to allow him to remain in the local jail rather than being transferred.
In a video circulating on social media, Saddam claimed: “The Bagerhat jailer demanded Tk5 lakh from me, saying if I wanted to stay in Bagerhat, I would have to pay Tk5 lakh.” He further alleged that the demand was made to keep him in the local facility, adding that he had faced harsh treatment, including three months in a cell as a “cell prisoner.”
Saddam described himself as an “innocent” and “political prisoner,” claiming his family had been under constant distress. He mentioned support from Sheikh Tanmoy, former MP for Bagerhat-2, and his family in managing jail-related expenses.
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The allegations stem from his detention timeline: Saddam was sent to Bagerhat District Jail on April 6, 2025, following a court order. On July 22, 2025, he was transferred to Jashore Central Jail for “administrative reasons.” He was rearrested in December 2025 in connection with cases linked to post-uprising events, many of which critics describe as politically motivated against Awami League affiliates.
Bagerhat District Jail Superintendent Khondaker Md Al-Mamun strongly denied the bribery claim, calling it “baseless” and “false propaganda.” Speaking to the media, he stated: “Due to his aggressive behaviour, he was transferred to Jashore. There is no other incident here. A jailer cannot unilaterally transfer anyone to another jail. I protest these unfounded statements.”
Prison authorities explained that Saddam was placed in a cell for security reasons after incidents of alleged threats and assault on fellow inmates and staff. Records from Bagerhat Jail indicate that on April 12, 2025, he threatened and abused a cell in-charge, and on July 6, he assaulted another prisoner. Officials emphasised that solitary confinement was not punitive but precautionary, and family meetings continued as normal.
Al-Mamun further noted that Saddam’s family visited him the day after his arrival in Bagerhat on April 7, 2025. He suggested the bribery allegation was an attempt to deflect from personal tragedy: “A heartbreaking incident occurred in his family. Centred on that, he is now spreading various types of misinformation and an unreasonable, harassing, false claim of Tk 5 lakh. This is completely untrue. If such a thing had happened, he could have said so when he went to Jashore.”
The case has reignited debate over prison conditions and alleged political persecution under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus. Human rights groups, including Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), previously condemned the denial of parole as a violation of constitutional provisions (Articles 27, 31, and 35(5)) and international standards like the ICCPR. A joint statement by 39 civil society leaders called for an investigation into the parole refusal.
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Saddam, whose wife and son died on January 23, 2026 (initially reported as suicide by hanging for the wife and possible drowning for the child), was allowed only a brief five-minute viewing of the bodies at the Jessore jail gate on January 24, fueling viral outrage on social media.
After the graveside visit and a short stay at his in-laws’ home in Sabekdanga, Saddam left the area by motorcycle and then a white car. His lawyer and family have portrayed his detention as part of a broader pattern of vendetta against former ruling party affiliates.
The bribery allegation remains unverified, with no formal complaint filed as yet. Authorities have dismissed it as retaliatory, while the incident highlights ongoing tensions in Bangladesh’s prison system amid political transitions.
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