Ex-minister SM Rezaul Karim confronted by former JCD leader in London

Ex-minister SM Rezaul Karim confronted by former JCD leader in London. Photo: Collected

Bangladesh’s ex-minister SM Rezaul Karim was confronted by a former leader of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) in London, where he faced sharp criticism over allegations of enforced disappearances, killings and political repression during the previous Awami League government’s tenure.

A video circulating on social media yesterday shows the former JCD leader accusing Rezaul Karim of remaining silent over what he described as the disappearance and killing of political opponents and student activists during the Awami League’s 17 years in power.

Addressing the former minister, the protester said: “For 17 years, you oversaw disappearances and killings among 180 million people. Ilias Ali is missing, Chowdhury Alam is missing, NCP leaders were killed, and ordinary students were also killed. How do you still have the courage to speak so loudly?”

The remarks appeared to refer to longstanding allegations surrounding the disappearances of opposition figures, including Ilias Ali and Chowdhury Alam, as well as violence linked to political unrest in Bangladesh. Authorities under the previous government consistently denied allegations of systematic enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.

The confrontation reportedly took place while Rezaul Karim was in London to join demonstrations organised by Awami League leaders and activists during the visit of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. The protest, which began at around 2:30pm local time, was part of a series of demonstrations held throughout Yunus’s stay in the UK capital.

Rezaul Karim had previously been seen publicly in London on 13 June last year. On that occasion, he was photographed sitting at a cake shop outside the Dorchester Hotel alongside Awami League Presidium member and former minister Abdur Rahman and former state minister and ex-president of the Sylhet district Awami League Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury.

Following the fall of the Awami League government on 5 August last year amid a mass uprising led by students and the public, Rezaul Karim went into hiding. In a later video message, he acknowledged leaving Bangladesh via India and taking refuge in a third country but did not disclose his exact location.

His public appearance in London effectively ended months of speculation over his whereabouts.

Former Fisheries and Livestock Minister Advocate SM Rezaul Karim hails from Nazirpur Upazila in Pirojpur district. A former secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association and former chairman of the Bangladesh Bar Council’s Finance Committee, he was first elected as the Awami League lawmaker for the Pirojpur-1 constituency in the 2018 general election.