A video featuring Advocate Ranjit Sarker, organisational secretary of the banned Awami League’s Sylhet district unit and a former member of parliament for Sunamganj-1, has sparked widespread speculation across the country.
Police have detained one person for questioning in connection with the incident.
The video, which Ranjit claims was recorded in Sunamganj, shows him addressing a crowd. Behind him, two men hold up a banner announcing fugitive Sheikh Hasina’s return.
The five-minute video was posted on Ranjit’s personal Facebook account at 4:49pm on Monday. It went viral on social media almost immediately.
Earlier that morning, leaders of the banned Chhatra League had started posting messages tagging Ranjit Sarker and hinting that something exciting was in the offing.
In the video, Ranjit addresses party leaders and activists. The event organisers are identified as the Awami League and its affiliated organisations in Tahirpur, Jamalganj, Dharmapasha and Madhyanagar upazilas.
In his speech, the former MP, who has been in hiding since August 5, accused the current political establishment of persecuting and arresting Awami League leaders and activists.
Referring to the announced return of Sheikh Hasina to Bangladesh in December, he urged party members to prepare themselves.
He also urged them to remain active in party programmes and be prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice.
Among those seen in the video holding the banner were Omar Faruk, a Jamalganj upazila Chhatra League leader, and Tara Mia, organisational secretary of the Tahirpur upazila Awami League.
Faruk was later detained by local police from the Saheb Bari Ghat area of Sunamganj town on Tuesday morning.
Another video shows Ranjit Sarker arriving at the venue to deliver his speech.
Several tablas can be seen at the venue, while around 50 people or more are seated there.
Sunamganj Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Ratan Sheikh said the location where the video was recorded had not yet been established. However, one person had been detained for questioning.
Further details would be shared once more information was available, he said.
Assistant Superintendent of Police SM Fazle Rabbi Rajib of the Dharmapasha Circle in Sunamganj said it had not yet been confirmed whether the programme was held in Bangladesh or India, or where exactly it took place.
“We have detained one person who was holding the banner. He is being questioned. Once the questioning is complete, we will be able to establish where the programme actually took place,” he said.
Sylhet Superintendent of Police Dr Chowdhury Md Jaber Sadeque said they were investigating whether the meeting had taken place somewhere in Sylhet’s border area.
“We cannot say where it took place until we establish the facts,” he said.
Speaking to Daily Waadaa over WhatsApp, Advocate Ranjit Sarker said, “I am a citizen of Bangladesh. Do you think people could take others from Tahirpur in Bangladesh, enter India and hold this programme there? Listen carefully to my speech. I said every inch of land belongs to us. What that means is that I held the programme somewhere inside Bangladesh.”
He said the programme was held in his constituency and that all those present were local residents.
“We are banned. We will hold our programmes wherever we get the opportunity. This is not the end. I have only given an advance warning,” he added.
Regarding the drums and tablas, he said they were part of the event.
“We are culturally minded people; we sing cultural songs. We celebrate festivals. Drums and tablas are part of Bengali traditions and culture. They are not used only during puja. What anyone thinks about this is their own matter.”
Ranjit said he had only one message: until Hasina was brought back to Bangladesh, they would risk their lives.
“It is the digital age now; let them find me if they can.”
After the video went viral, many commentators suggested that it had been recorded somewhere along the Indian border, where a Shyama Puja programme was taking place.
Some claimed Ranjit had arrived wearing a mask, made a few remarks, recorded the video and left.
Others, however, believe that a cultural programme had been organised and people had gathered before Ranjit Sarker arrived.
Social commentators said songs were being performed with drums and tablas at the venue.
Ranjit Sarker then arrived during a break, delivered his speech and disappeared.
Encouraged by the video, Awami League, Chhatra League and Jubo League leaders and activists took to the streets, staging processions and engaging in acts of vandalism.
On Monday night, they held processions and torch processions at various locations in Sylhet.
Meanwhile, Ranjit Sarker’s house was set on fire again on Monday night, after his video went viral that afternoon.
His house had previously been vandalised and set on fire on August 5, 2024.
According to reliable sources, Advocate Ranjit Sarker has been on the run since the July Mass Uprising in 2024.
Sources concerned have confirmed that he had stayed in India for a long time.
He subsequently travelled to the United Kingdom on a visit visa.
There, he sought legal asylum, citing persecution in his home country because of his political affiliation and status as an ethnic minority.
After his application was rejected, he returned to India.
Before returning to India, he had his party colleagues publicise his plans. He also said he was going back to India to bring his leader, Sheikh Hasina, back to the country and would return to Bangladesh when an opportunity arose.
His followers have been staging processions in the country, encouraged to some extent by these developments.
Several local sources say Ranjit Sarker returned to the country within the past few days, recorded the video and then safely crossed back into India before publishing it on his Facebook account.
They also say there are villages in Ranjit Sarker’s constituency where he could organise such an event without anyone being able to speak out.